


How The Other Half Lives

by DaniPhandom, JaybieJarrett



Series: The Prometheus Trilogy [1]
Category: Danny Phantom, Original Work-Psiverse
Genre: F/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-31
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-28 13:24:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 63,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/308306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniPhandom/pseuds/DaniPhandom, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaybieJarrett/pseuds/JaybieJarrett
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny and his friends are invited to a very affluent school for unusually gifted students, which drops them into a new society with familiar politics.  Meanwhile Vlad is given the chance to get what he’s always wanted, but at the price of moral bankruptcy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not So Normal After All

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Danny Phantom and all characters, names and places related belong to Nickelodeon and Butch Hartman, not us. However, Prometheus Institute, the Psi world and community, and all characters related (including the Monroes, the Blakes, the Strykes and the Toyakas) are creations of Jaybie Jarrett . I have been working on the society, systems and biology of this story since about 2009. Any questions about the OCs and world can go directly to me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fentons are surprised when Danny and Jazz get invitations to a prestigious English school for students with peculiar abilities. Sam finds out something that her parents kept from her.

Danny never noticed the letters until that afternoon in the middle of July. He did, however, happen to hear a very odd conversation between his parents in the early morning. It was the first day of summer and he had planned on sleeping in until noon but it wasn't like he could exactly help getting hungry in the middle of the night. He tried ignoring the growls but they just would not shut  _up_.

"Fine," he grumbled to himself and got out of bed. Creeping around without being heard had become easier to him after all this time hiding and fighting ghosts - even without going invisible.

As he tiptoed down the stairs, Danny couldn't help but notice that the floor wasn't cold against his bare feet like most normal humans. 'It must be a ghost thing', he told himself. He couldn't remember a time in the last few years when he didn't feel a perpetual chill in his body, even before the Undergrowth incident. It was just a little worse than normal that time. It had been this way since, well, probably the accident. That day in the portal (he shuddered to remember the pain) when he finally got himself together enough to turn into a human, it had seemed like a little bit of the 'dead coldness' he had as a ghost remained left over. He panicked, but eventually, got used to it. Now, he could hardly imagine it any other way.

His foot reached the bottom of the stairs, and he heard the clumsy thump it made. His breath hitched and he instinctively turned invisible.

" - What was that?"

"It's nothing, Jack, don't change the subject."

"That's a relief," Danny thought. He stayed still for another moment, hoping his parents would just forget it.

"I'm not changing the subject, I swear I heard something. What were we talking about again?" His mother sighed.

" _Jack._ " Against his better judgment, Danny started listening in. Part of him knew he shouldn't be doing it but maybe what they were talking about pertained to his ghost half. Maybe they were building some big ghost weapon he would have to watch out for.

"Just kidding, baby. Anyway, I don't think ol' Uncle Jasper is anything to worry about. He's always threatening to cut people off or write them out of the will."

"I don't care about his will; I don't like being threatened over how I raise my kids. It's not any of his business, and I would like him to stop writing us." Danny had lived with his mother long enough to know when she was really mad and that whoever this 'Uncle Jasper' was, he knew he should watch out.

Really, who  _was_  this guy? Danny had never remembered seeing any Uncle Jasper as a kid or hearing about him. If the man was such an influential member of the Fenton family, why didn't either he or his sister even know him until now? From the sounds of it this 'Uncle', seemed to be pretty loaded.

"It would have been nice to know I had a rich great uncle," Danny thought, pressing his ear against the door to the kitchen.

"He's just concerned. He's got this crazy idea that Jazzy-pants is well….gifted"

"Jazmine  _is_  gifted. She got the highest score in the history of the C.A.T. and has scored all A's since she started school." Danny could somehow tell that was not what his father meant by 'gifted'. Anyone with eyes knew that Jazz was smart.

"Not school-gifted, I mean-you remember what I told you about in college, about my relatives being er…different?"

"Jack, I think we would know if our children had supernatural abilities." At this Danny almost snorted. Then realizing the full implication of what was going on, he froze. This mysterious 'uncle' somehow knew about him and his sister and their 'supernatural powers'. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine he could know - or at least find out- about Danny's ghost powers. But it was crazy, right? Jazz didn't have any supernatural abilities. He went back up to his room, having completely forgotten what he came down for to begin with.

The next few days, he watched Jazz, a little more than he usually did, as if looking for some sign of supernatural abilities. He was careful to be more subtle about it than she had been after finding out that he was part ghost. It wasn't as if it was difficult for him to believe in the possibility of these supernatural abilities, obviously. When you were half ghost, it was kind of hard to write things off as impossible. But he was a little surprised to imagine  _Jazz, of_  all people, with them. His completely normal sister who, until a year and a half ago, didn't even believe in ghosts.

"Have I got something in my teeth?" Jazz asked.

"No" Danny gave her a weird look, "why?"

"You've been staring at me all day." Huh, maybe not  _that_  subtle.

"No, I haven't, Jazz" His sister rolled her eyes.

"If you say so." She went back to working on her college paperwork when Danny blurted out something perhaps as an afterthought.

"Hey, um…hypothetically speaking, if you had uh…supernatural powers, you'd tell me, right? I mean you know I have, uh, you-know-what." Their parents were, thankfully, downstairs working on an invention, but he still wasn't going to openly admit to having ghost powers. Just in case. "Or if we had a rich great Uncle Jasper?"

"Oh, you found out about Uncle Jasper? He's technically more of a cousin, but for some reason everybody calls him 'uncle'- " Danny nearly spit out his drink.

"What? How did you know that?" Jazz shrugged and moved on to another sheet of paper.

"Extra credit Family Tree project in ninth grade. Lancer always announces it at the beginning of the year." Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I think we both know that I had other things to worry about then." He had the accident with the Portal during the summer before entering high school. Most of the beginning of ninth grade was a little fuzzy to him. There was an awkward silence as Jazz seemed to realize this.

"Oh…right. Sorry." She got up and went to sharpen her pencil. "So how'd you find out about Jasper then?"

"Uh…..accident," he stammered. Now was Jazz's turn to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Really, Danny?" she asked with a smile. "You can be honest, you know, I'm not going to tell Mom and Dad."

"All right, I overheard them talking, " he said. "Something about how this Uncle was threatening to write them out of the will if they didn't do something."

"Ohh." Jazz nodded. "He's always saying that." Danny was quiet for a moment and then he looked at her.

"How come everyone else but me knew we had a rich uncle-cousin-thing?" Jazz chuckled.

"I hate to break it to you, little brother, but you're a little oblivious." He frowned at her as she ruffled his hair. She would bring up Sam as proof, but that would just be mean. "Dad's family is distantly related to the Monroes, who are apparently this really wealthy and proud old family. Jasper is the head of the household."

He forgot about it for awhile after that, although he never did get a straight answer about the supernatural powers. Summer went on as usual; ghost attacks, hanging out with friends and more ghost attacks. Vlad was unusually quiet, which unnerved Danny a bit. He knew that whenever the other half ghost was quiet it could mean that he was planning something especially nasty.

Then, of course, in the summer was when the letters came in. Unknown to him, they had been coming before that. Maddie had been throwing them away and Jazz had been saving the ones she could find in a little box.

Danny found one when he came home from the mall with Tucker and Sam. He had a quick brush with Skulker and nearly trashed the F.Y.E. store. It would be a little awkward shopping there for awhile. Though the sight of a plate of his mom's cookies was enough to drive the troubles from his mind.

" _Sweet!_ " Tucker said behind him picking up a cookie.

"I need to get your mom a vegetarian cookbook for Christmas. " Sam muttered. As both boys indulged on sweets, she picked up a couple of envelopes. "Hey, you and Jazz got mail. Sheesh, somebody has some cash to blow." She held up an envelope, which had fancy gold lettering on it. Danny snatched it from her, getting smudged cookie on it.

"Really?" He looked at it.

_Daniel John Fenton_

_1245 Pleasantview Drive_

_Amity Park, IN, 12345_

"Hey, check the other side to see if it has the Hogwarts crest on it" Tucker said. Both Danny and Sam gave him a look. "What, a guy can dream, can't he?"

"Tucker, it  _already_  has the name of the school in the return address," Sam said. "Prometheus Institute." Danny looked at the return address.

"Well, it  _is_  in England," he said. He turned the letter over to see a seal with small white and black stones. He carefully opened it, wondering if the stones were really decorative fakes or actually worth something. The paper inside felt like some sort of stock paper and the ink glittered in a certain light. Someone in England with a load of money was interested in him. The first thing that popped in his mind, naturally, was 'Vlad'. He wouldn't be at all surprised if this was part of some elaborate new scheme.

_Dear Mr. Fenton,_

_We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted at Prometheus Institute for the Gifted. Your grades and records from your previous schools have been faxed to us. We understand that your inherent Psi abilities were unusually late in coming-'_

"Your inherent what?" Sam asked. For some reason that little word sounded awfully familiar to her.

"I don't know." Danny shrugged and kept reading.

_You need not worry of course; it will not affect your admittance into the school, in accordance with 'Board Policy 99'. Your head of household, Jasper Monroe, has arranged travel accommodations for yourself and your sister. Your school dues have been paid for and a bank account has been made for your school supplies. You will be required to register beforehand and get your school ID. We also would like to inform you that while at Prometheus Institute, you are listed under the surname Monroe._

_Thank you for your time, we look forward to seeing you._

_Sincerely,_

_Walton Alastor Freethy II_

_Senior Director of Board of Admissions_

Three mouths were almost hanging open. The teenagers stared at the letter wondering if it was serious.

"Man….," Tucker said. Danny almost jumped when he heard someone come in.

"What is that?" his mother asked, picking up the letter to take a look. Danny made a grab for it, but it was too late. He watched his mothers' expression go from curious to what he could tell was a tranquil fury. "Jack.  _We need to talk._ " Everyone else in the room shuddered. Jack came in and his face fell, seeing the look on his wife's face.

"Hey, sweetie…what's the prob…lem?"

Maddie handed him the letter. "Your uncle has really done it now" He took the letter and scanned it. After he was finished, he just took a deep breath and said only two words. "Ohhhhhh boy."

Sam and Tucker decided that it was a good time for them to leave while Danny was torn between wanting to go before his parents started fighting and wanting to know what was going on.

"Danny, go outside, your father and I need to talk." He left the room, but immediately pressed his ear against the door.

"What right. …What right does he think he has... I cannot believe - "

"Sweetie calm down, it's not that bad, it looks like a nice school and it's paid for."

"It's not about the school, Jack! He did this without any say-so from us." It was not looking good. Danny could understand his mother's anger of course. Nobody asked him if he wanted to leave Amity Park for some snooty rich school in another country.

"I know, I'll talk to him about it." his father said.

As Tucker walked home he could remember how jealous he was about Danny's ghost powers a year ago. Now this? It seemed like everything interesting seemed to happen to his best friend. He knew it wasn't Danny's fault – Sam didn't need to remind him of that.

"Besides, I'm sure Danny's not excited about leaving his school for some place in England," she pointed out.

"I know Sam" he said. He wasn't going to take it out on Danny this time of course. His best friend was probably already bummed enough without his friends turning on him. "But doesn't it ever seem like everything interesting seems to happen to Danny?"

"Yeah, so?" She shrugged. "Look Tucker, if you're going to get all jealous -"

"I'm not," he said, "Can't I make an observation without you jumping on my case."

"Past history, Tuck." Tucker rolled his eyes. Sam never let him forget anything. "What are we going to do for a year without Danny?"

"Assuming he's going" Sam said, "Ms. Fenton looked pretty pissed."

"But what  _if_ he does?" Tucker pressed the question. The thought of his best friend leaving for a whole year made him worried. He and Danny had been buddies since kindergarten.

"We'll still have a job to do; we'll need to make sure ghosts don't completely take over the town," Sam said, "without ghost powers." He would have pointed out that Valerie did that but he figured Valerie was still a sore subject with Sam. They reached Sam's house only to find her parents standing outside with forced smiles. "Ooooh no, this is not good"

"What?" Tucker asked. It didn't seem too different to him. Sam's parents always seemed to look well…fake.

"Sammykins," Ms. Manson said.

"Can we talk to you…inside?" her father asked. "Say goodbye to Taylor, honey"

"It's Tucker." The two parents led, or more rather, dragged, her off. In their hands he spotted a familiar envelope. It looked just like the one they had just seen at the Fentons. "Oh _come on_! " He started back home in worse spirits than before. Not only was Danny getting an invitation, but Sam too? If Danny was going he knew Sam would go too. When he got home, his mother was working on dinner.

"Are you allright, baby?" she asked, noticing her son's less-than happy mood. "Have a fight with your friends?"

"Not exactly," Tucker said. He sat down and ate one of the cookies on the table. Not even a bad mood seemed to damper his appetite. "They got invitations to some ritzy school in England. Is it too late to start home-school?"

"Oh, I don't think they would leave you alone." Ms. Foley said, "and England's a long ways away. What was this school called?"

"Prometheus Institute." he said. His mother did a double take. "Prometheus? That place for gifted children?"

"Yeah. " Tucker said. With that little ray of hope he looked up his mother, maybe if she went there it would be easier for him to get in. "Do you know it? Did you go there?"

"No. I've heard of it," she said. She was acting very odd now. To herself, she muttered, "I always thought Danny might, but Sam?"

"Thought Danny might, what?" Tucker asked, "Mom?" She shook her head and muttered about talking to his father.

"Sammy, something came in the mail for you today" Sam could tell that her mom was trying to keep her temper down. "What is this?" She slammed the envelope down on the table. The Prometheus Institute address caught Sam's eye.

"It's an envelope. It's actually pretty snooty and pretentious, I thought you liked that sort of thing," Sam said.

"Don't talk that way to your mother." Jeremy Manson said.

"Talk like what?" she asked innocently, "I honestly don't get what you're so offended about. It's a school for the gifted. It means I'm smart….that's good by the way." Sam was getting irritated with her parents. She was also a little worried though she didn't show it. If they were getting this upset over a letter how would they react when they found out what she could do?

Since around the end of middle school, she found out that she had a strange connection with plants. She developed a love for the earth and enjoyed helping plants grow. Undergrowth didn't create her control over his 'children'; he merely amplified it, although she never told anyone that. Even before that though, she had quirks. Since she was very young she would sometimes see things like memories when she touched a person, or heard what they were thinking. The thoughts sometimes scared her, but somehow she knew better than to tell someone about it.

She had a memory of a doctor telling her parents - the couple must have been her parents but they looked nothing like the two people standing before her - something and they were distraught. He made a suggestion, saying it was for the best, but the man was busy trying to console the woman, as she cried. Shortly after, she was saying goodbye to them in an airport. It was her least favorite thing to remember and she tried to pretend that it never happened.

Now that they were about to find out, Sam feared that she would feel the same rejection all over again. She wasn't going to betray it to them. She told herself she didn't care what they thought.

"Don't try to play that with me, Samantha, I read the letter - "

"You know that's illegal, right?" Sam said, "It's a federal offense to read someone's mail" Pamela pursed her lips.

"What do they mean Psi ability and ESP? Are you in some kind of cult? I told you all that Goth nonsense would corrupt your soul." Sam rolled her eyes.

"No Mom, I'm not in a cult." She said. "I knew nothing about Prometheus Institute until today, and besides I don't think cults have schools. They usually have communes far separated from the rest of society. Didn't that letter you read illegally tell you anything?"

" _How do you know that_?" her mother shrieked. Her father held up a hand and tried to calm her.

"Samantha, please go to your room." She sighed and got up secretly glad to be away before she lost it as well.

"Great I'm being grounded for getting a letter. I  _love_  my parents." She rolled her eyes and went up to her room. She slammed the door and then screamed into the nearest pillow she could find. She pushed the pillow aside and then grabbed her journal before she hurt something.

After she had raged and cursed and written every angry thing she could think of, she closed the book. Her cat was hiding under the dresser.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Az!" Sam said. She got up, and coaxed Asmodeus out from under the dresser, regretting her outburst. She carried the cat over to her bed and scratched behind his ears in apology for scaring him. After all the cat and her grandmother were the only people she could count on in this house. Her parents had been talking about finding a 'nice place' for her grandmother to stay. She knew what they meant, of course -a retirement home - and told them in no uncertain terms that if they did it, she would never forgive them.

"Sammy?" There was a knock at her door.

"Come in ,Grandma," she sighed. Grandma Manson wheeled in on her scooter. She was always welcome in this room as far as Sam was concerned. "I heard Pamela shouting." Her voice carried distaste for the woman. Sam knew her grandmother never liked her mother.

"I got a letter, from this weird school called Prometheus Institute, talking about Psi abilities and ESP" Sam said, stroking Az. "It's pathetic, they're mad at me for being different. " Her grandmother sighed.

"Yes they can be foolish like that." she said. "There's nothing wrong with being different Sam, variety is the spice of life, like they say."

"Grandma," Sam said hesitantly. After all that had just happened, she decided that is was no use trying to ignore the strange memories she had. She had noticed that there didn't seem to be any baby photos of her when she was working on a project for school. She would have thought that her parents would have been all over that type of sentimentality - dressing her in all sorts of baby gowns (she shuddered at the thought).

"Are my parents, you know, really my parents? I have memories of other parents and it's probably not enough memories to be something like a past life-which would actually be really cool - but…" She took a deep breath, she was rambling. "What I really want to ask is…um…am I adopted?" Great, this was sounding like a teen soap opera already - she hated those shows.

Her grandmother smiled sadly and pulled a picture out of her wallet. It was a picture of a dark haired little girl in a black and gold dress. "This was the picture we were given when your parents finished the paperwork. I have to tell you, I could tell you were something special from the moment I saw you, ESP or not. I hoped your father at least would tell you someday, you deserved the truth. But Pamela was insistent on trying to make you something you weren't, I told her it was no use, but you know how she is."

Sam's eyes locked on the photo and took in the scenery in the background. She found she could almost hear the sounds of Beethoven's eighth symphony playing in the background in the lounge of the Plaza. Her mother took the picture while her father said, "Smile, love." Judging by the picture, she had to be around three or four. The strange voices were just starting. Her parents didn't know yet, but they quickly learned not to make her stay out on the town for too long. The picture gave her a small comfort, whatever happened afterwards; there was a time when they truly loved her.

Valerie's heart was racing. She had found one of Vlad's spy bugs; or rather Danielle had found it and managed to tinker with it. She came to Valerie's house one day (Valerie had told her father that Danielle was a girl from the shelter that she had been mentoring and he was more than supportive) with it in her pocket. She said that Vlad had taught her some 'basic' things about running the lab when he believed that she would never turn on him. Dani learned other things with access to a library, the internet and sheer will.

Valerie took the spy camera with plans to plant it in Vlad's house. She knew Dani was the more logical choice for this job, but she couldn't ask the poor girl to return to this place-after all, it held so many painful memories for her. For the time, she was fortunate; Vlad didn't appear to be here. He hadn't been doing much for a while, Valerie was suspicious and she could be sure Phantom was as well. She spotted him flying by there and presumably poking around.

She just had to watch out for a few maids and those creepy ghost vultures. If she attacked them too much, Vlad would know something was up. She stuck to using a stun gun on them. She watched for when the coast was clear again and made a mad dash for a room at the end of the hall. She prayed, desperately that it was Vlad's office, though she wasn't sure God would approve of her breaking into a man's house - even if he was a psychopathic skeeve.

She noticed a lock on the door and nearly swore under her breath. There probably wasn't enough time to break it; she knew that lock picking wasn't as easy as it looked in the movies. She shot her ecto-dart gun at the doorknob and then rammed her body into the door being glad for once for the slight density of the suit and her own body structure. She was certain Paulina or Star would never have managed to ram a door.

Victory! Her heart rate sped up for a moment when she heard something. Had someone heard her? She waited in a corner for a moment but nothing happened. She drew in a sharp breath looking around at Vlad's office. It was extremely spiffy as expected but a little disorganized. She had always imagined - no - knew that Vlad was a neat man. She went over and after taking a moment to memorize just how the papers looked, took a moment to look through them. Who knew if they might relate to her or Danny, and it wasn't as if Vlad never invaded her life. They were plane tickets to England and messages between him and someone named Kagami.

She didn't find the tickets suspicious - after all he was a multimillionaire businessman. Or perhaps he might be visiting family (he  _did_  have the accent). But who was Kagami? She examined the emails and noticed a corporate name in one of them. New Capulet Inc. 'Never heard of it'. It was probably a business thing. As much as she was tempted to invade his privacy more, in revenge for what he had done to her, she didn't have that kind of time. She arranged the papers just as she had found them and then started looking for an inconspicuous place to plant the bug. She found a place in a plant and managed to position it just so. Perfect.

Valerie took a deep breath. Now she just had to get out of here. With quite a bit of difficulty and a lot of luck, she made her way out of the manor. Only when she was miles away from the place did her heart rate return to normal. She walked back instead of taking the hover-board. When she got home she was going to have tall glass of country style lemonade and wait until the buzzing of adrenaline calmed down.

When she reached her house, she found a large envelope addressed to her. She didn't order anything, did she? With hesitation, Valerie picked it up and looked at it. It was from a PO Box and only listed a few initials. As she walked into the house she opened it up and read it.

_Dear Ms. Grey,_

_I had quite a hard time coming by your address; I do hope this is the right one. I apologize if I have alarmed you, I mean no ill will._

_I am, you could say, a friend of your mother's family. I cannot be certain how much you have been told about our lot or the circumstances of her untimely and tragic passing. You have my sincerest condolences - she was an amazing woman._

_Your mother was part of a secret community of people who possess what you might know as "ESP". Her family, the Blakes, were a fairly old and well respected family amongst our kind. She had a lot of spirit and courage. Her ability was human – to -human shape shifting. I regret being the one to tell you this, but she was murdered- as quite a few of our kind have been throughout history- by mundanes (those not endowed with our brand of abilities)._

_I have written to you not only to tell you bad news but to inform you that you are one of her kind - of our kind. I am not quite certain what your abilities are but I've noticed that you are uncommonly skilled with technology. I also have some connections with her alma mater, Prometheus Institute For The Gifted, if you wish to attend. I have enclosed some necessary forms and an address that you can send them to. I am certain that your relatives will be all too happy to get you to the school. I look forward to seeing you amongst our kind once again, Ms. Grey._

_Sincerely,_

_Jasper F. Monroe_

Valerie could feel herself shaking more and more as she read the letter. It had been at least 14 years since her mother's death. Her father never told her very much about her and how she died, though one time when she snuck downstairs-hoping to catch hints about her birthday presents- she heard him lamenting about the police 'giving up' on her case and filing it with the cold cases.

She reread the letter over and over again. Her numb shock quickly turned to anger .She crumpled the letter up violently, and then threw it in the trash. She didn't know what kind of prank they were playing, but it was just sick. She tossed the envelope in the trash, no longer caring what was inside it.

She could still hear Vlad's words ringing in her ears. ' _For a smart girl, she is very easily led_ '.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WHEW! This story was actually the most fun I’ve had writing in a while. Huh, it’s amazing what happens when you turn that ‘oh no, what will the reviewers think’ feeling off and just write. I do hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> By the way the credit for the name of Sam’s cat goes to my friend Jeff McKissock, aka Hordak’s Pupil . It was a name he came up with that we used in a previous fanfic that I found and recycled. I really hope that he doesn’t mind me using it again.
> 
> Also we got the idea for Sam being a telepath from the old abandoned ‘Psychic link’ bit that the DP writers scrapped. Though for note telepaths are already a part of my invented world. Dani Phandom and I just decided for ironic fun and plot purposes that Sam should be one. She was adopted by the Mansons when she was about 4. She has memories of her birth parents but was never actually told she was adopted until now. Any other questions you have I’ll try to answer in the beginning of the next chapter.  
> This story started as an RP sort of thing between us and was built and changed from there.
> 
> In the next chapter there will be more answers and tying up of some things. We’ll get to find out if Tucker can go with them and what Jazz’s power is and soon we’ll get to see Jasper face to face.  
> Until next time,  
> JJ


	2. Figuring Things Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fentons try to deal with the behavior of Jack's relative and Danny tries to make sense of what's going on. Tucker talks to his parents about Prometheus Institute while Valerie finds out what really happened to her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to everybody for the warm reception! Special thanks go to dA user K-Kitty for pointing out all the typos. Sorry this took so long. My flashdrive crashed and erased it the first time around because I was too preoccupied getting stuff done to save it somewhere else.

A/N: Thanks to everybody for the warm reception! Special thanks go to dA user K-Kitty for pointing out all the typos. Sorry this took so long. My flashdrive crashed and erased it the first time around because I was too preoccupied getting stuff done to save it somewhere else.

 

Tensions in the Fenton house were quite high for a little while afterwards. Maddie’s annoyance with her husband dissipated, although she was still angry at the nerve of his relative. Jack tried sending a letter to Jasper but he got no response. Danny stayed out of their way for the most part. He got a call from Tucker lamenting that Sam had gotten an invitation to Prometheus Institute too.

He turned the soccer ball he had been tossing at the ceiling around in his hands thinking about what had happened. It didn’t make any sense. This whole situation felt a little too contrived and smelled of Vlad’s work. Though this Jasper person was obviously real, and it seemed a little unlikely that Vlad would conspire with a relative of Jack Fenton. Maybe Vlad was overshadowing him? Judging from the stories his dad had told his mom, Jasper was always like this. Danny sighed and tossed the ball up again. What kind of guy signed up kids he had never even met for a school in another country?

 _“We understand that your inherent Psi abilities were unusually late in coming-’”_ The only powers he knew he had were ghost powers. Even the ice ability was tied to ghosts, maybe, although he did have memories of low grade fevers when he was young. Maybe whatever they used to figure out he had powers was tricked by his ghost abilities.

“Hey can I come in?” Jazz asked. Danny sat up and scooted over allowing her to sit on his bed.

“Does any of this make sense to you?” he asked.

“Well, kind of,” she said. “You remember how I used to always know what would go wrong in this house?”

“Yeah,” Everyone in the house knew about Jazz’s uncanny ‘danger sense’. How else would she have been able to take on an ectoplasm infused turkey unblinkingly?

“It wasn’t just luck,” she said, “I saw it happen…in my dreams.”

“Seriously?” Danny asked staring at her, incredulously. “And to think you didn’t believe in ghosts.” After a moment, a thought occurred to him. “and …you were against building a portal in the lab because you thought I might get hurt in it?”

“No,” Jazz said, “Because there are so many better things to do with a basement than sticking a giant Stargate that shouldn’t have worked in it.” Danny laughed and shook his head.

“Well it _was_ a ghost hunter’s lab.” He said.

“Ugh don’t even get me started.” At once the two of them fell back on the bed laughing. They weren’t sure why, it wasn’t even that funny. Maybe just that, for a moment, it was as if things were the way they used to be-before this Prometheus business, before all the ghost drama, before they knew Vlad Masters as anything but some rich guy in Wisconsin. Once both siblings finally stopped there was an awkward moment of quiet.

“How come you never said anything about it?” Danny asked.

“Are you kidding?” Jazz asked, “Who would believe me if I said that I thought I was seeing the future in my dreams? All the proof I had was, well what I thought, I would have sounded like an idiot.” She sighed. “I was always afraid of that. I eventually decided not to believe in anything I couldn’t prove. I looked through books, hoping to find a scientific explanation for what I had experienced.” Danny had always known that his sister hated to be wrong, but he never really thought of it that way. It certainly explained a lot. It was hard to think of anything to say really.

“Do you think we’ll fit in?” he asked.

“Maybe.” Jazz got off the bed, “Maybe you’ll find out something new about your powers.”As she left Danny looked after her. Was that…

“What? Hey Jazz, wait!” He called after her.

****

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Tucker finally asked one Wednesday night at dinner. Since he mentioned that Sam and Danny were going off to Prometheus Institute his parents had been talking amongst themselves. He swore that they were stealing glances at him when he wasn’t looking. Last night he had overheard them arguing about him. When he heard his name come up in the conversation, he eagerly got up, searched out the best spot and pressed his ear to the floor.

“Maurice I don’t want him to get involved with that crowd,” his mother said. Tucker did a double take. His parents had been nothing but friendly toward Danny and Sam, why would they suddenly decide they disapproved? He pressed his ear closer to the floor assuring himself that he shouldn’t panic until he got the full picture.

“He has a right to know what he is” His father said. Tucker had to pinch himself to remind himself he wasn’t dreaming. He had so many dreams about getting comic book superpowers after reading by flashlight after lights out (admittedly there was often a good dose of sugar involved as well), and this sounded like it had come straight out of a comic book.

“Yes, but don’t you remember what they were like-why we left them to begin with?” she asked.

“He’ll find out about them someday, and he’ll be all the better if he can make an informed decision. We raised him the best we could Andrea, now we have to trust him He’s almost sixteen.” Maurice barely even raised his voice. Tucker found it all a little surreal; normally his mother was the calm and collected one. “He should get the truth from us.”

He didn’t hear much after that and eventually returned to his bed. As he lay there, among the many thoughts swimming through his mind before he drifted off to sleep that night was “Finally, Danny isn’t the only one who gets to be cool.”

“You guys have been whispering ever since I told you about Sam and Danny.” He said. “What is Prometheus Institute and why’s it such a big deal?”  He didn’t dare let on that he had listened into their argument because then the subject would be turned to that. He wanted answers. There was a heavy silence at the table, and for once, nobody was touching their meatloaf. Both parents looked at each other and sighed.

“Did you see what was inside the letter your friend got?” Maurice asked.

“Yeah, it was talking about Psi abilities” Tucker asked, “so what does Psi mean anyway?”

“It means,” his father started, “a person gifted with a …um unique ability. They’ve lived in secret for a very long time, since the Spanish Inquisition, usually in close-knit communities.”

    “What kind of abilities?” Tucker asked, “Super powers?”

“Yes and no” Maurice said, “You remember the movie that you watched on Halloween when you were thirteen?” Tucker didn’t even have to ask which movie. The Halloween before Danny got his ghost powers they had a scary movie night and called it quits after Carrie.

“Yeah” Tucker said. “The one with the girl that went all crazy on her classmates?” Andrea gave Maurice an impatient look, wishing that he had picked a non horror movie example to illustrate Psi powers.

“Yes. While that certainly isn’t an appropriate way to use your abilities” he hastily added, “It did have a common Psi power-telekinesis.”

“So it’s stuff like that, psychic and mindreading” Tucker guessed. His parents exchanged uncomfortable glances at the mention of mind reading. “What?”

“Mind reading isn’t exactly a normal Psi power” Maurice said. “It and empathy are usually an additional ability that weakens the original power. A lot of other Psi view it as a weakness.”

“That doesn’t make sense” Tucker said, “Two kind of powerful abilities are just as good as one regular ability, right?”

“It’s also uncontrolled” Andrea said.

“Ohh” Now it made sense. Tucker shuddered at the idea of reading random people’s minds.

“That was one of the reasons we left that community.” She said, “The way they were treating people with empathy and telepathy was something we just couldn’t go along with. Not to mention the way they looked at mundanes and….well, they just became so corrupt. ”

“But” Maurice interrupted, “we also believe that you’re old enough to make decisions for yourself. Do you want to go to this school?” Oh boy, that made it hard. Tucker chewed his lip. It was easy to want something when his parents forbid it, but here they were giving him the choice. It was obvious they didn’t agree with whoever ran this school, and they didn’t want him to be a part of it. But his best friends were going, he didn’t want to be left behind and the whole power thing sounded so cool.

“I get that you’re worried about me and you don’t agree with them, but I’d really like to go and learn more about….well whatever power I have which is kind of this whole part of me that I didn’t even know about before .” Man this sounded so stupid, “It’s not like I’m going to believe everything they say. Danny and Sam are going and, they’re my friends you know, they’re like me…If they’re going I want to go.”

His father nodded. “I understand. I’ll start looking up the enrollment information.”

****

The day after the invitation came, Sam’s parents seemed to have changed their minds. They are very nice to her and even took her out to dinner once to celebrate her getting into a ‘nice private school’. Afterward she found that her mom wasn’t getting on her case anymore or forcing her to try on dresses. It was nice to begin with but then the more they stayed out of her business the more it started becoming strange. They weren’t just staying out of her business, she realized, they were staying out of her life.

But she brushed the thought away; after all she wasn’t going to go into a fit of angst because her parents were finally doing what she had been asking them for ages. In the back of her mind a horrifying thought occasionally crept up-‘what if they were leaving her along because they just didn’t care anymore’.

“That’s stupid” she thought, “I’m still their daughter.” Still it lingered in her mind when neither of them showed up for dinner. A week ago this would have been the best dinner of the summer just her and her grandma. Now it just felt a little unnerving. She didn’t really start getting annoyed with it until the next day when she announced she was going to shop at Spencer’s Gifts.

“Have fun, dear” Her mother said. Sam left the house waiting for her mother to register what she said. The explosion she waited for never came. Something weird was definitely up. She spent three years sneaking out to go to Skulk n’ Lurk and now her mom didn’t even care if she went to the most sophomorically adult store at the mall?

She never did actually find anything worth buying at Spencer’s, and the cashiers gave her a strange look when she asked for one of their bags. Perhaps when she came supposedly with stuff from the store, her parents might wake up. She considered picking up lime green hair-dye if this didn’t work but then decided that whether the plan worked or not, she didn’t want to spend three to six weeks with hair the color of a Roswell float.

She came home and her mother walked right by her, cheerful as ever. It was obvious her parents just didn’t care, or were trying to guilt her into deciding not to go to PI by letting her do whatever she wanted. For most kids it would be a dream, but now that the ‘dream’ had become a reality it was getting depressing.

“What’s the problem?” Danny asked, over the phone a day afterward, “You always wanted your parents to leave you alone.”

“Yeah” Sam said, “But I never thought they would. It’s so weird. “

“So uh what are you going to do?” Danny asked, “About the school?”

“I don’t know.” Sam said, “I want to, but I kind of think if I do they’ll go back to their old selves.” Danny was quiet for a few moments.

“Why don’t you do what you want to do,” he said, “Don’t let them guilt you into doing something that will make you miserable.”

“Yeah” Sam said, “It’s not as if I can’t learn to survive with my parents.”

“Besides, it’s a boarding school” Danny pointed out, “You won’t see them until winter break.” She didn’t know what had come over her, just complaining about her parents.

“Well what about Tucker though?” Sam asked, “We can’t just leave him behind.” Poor Tucker got the short end of the stick way too often. They were interrupted when Tucker bumped into the conversation (Three-way calling was God-sent)

“Guys I’m IN!” Tucker announced. Danny and Sam sat in stunned silence and then burst out laughing. “What? Come on guys, what?”

****

Valerie forgot about the letter after a few busy days of work. She didn’t tell Dani about it because after all if she kept ranting about it, it would only stay in her mind. Her father had worked late that night and was sleeping in during the day, and she had off from work so Valerie decided she would go out. She left a note of course on the refrigerator so he wouldn’t worry. Now the second thing on her mind was Vlad and whatever he was up to. She went to the library, without using the hover-board as it was reserved for when she was late to school or work, and found a computer. Since school was out, the library was mostly empty except for the occasional community college student. Mere years ago she would have never been caught dead in the library over summer.

She remembered Vlad’s letters and put ‘New Capulet Inc’ into the Google search bar. Jackpot, the first thing to come up was a Wikipedia page.

_‘New Capulet Inc- A UK based Cellphone Company started by the Toyaka family in 1990, which quickly rocketed up in popularity. Recently affiliated with Axion and Vladco.’_

Hmm, interesting. Even though her Dad worked for Axion she didn’t know they had an affiliate overseas. Scanning through she found a few strange things –rumors of corruption. After finding out about Vlad, she didn’t have such a hard time imagining a tycoon being corrupted-and tycoons was an excellent way to describe these people. They had at least ten million pounds at the moment.

She followed a link to a site about the Toyakas. Kagami who began the business had mostly retired within a few years and her son Dex quickly climbed up to CEO, a lovely display of blatant nepotism. Allegedly her ex-husband left the country shortly after divorcing her and there were a number of stories about shady dealings going around within New Capulet. From what she was seeing, Valerie was getting an idea of what kind of a person Kagami was-a spoiled woman who had money and was used to getting her way.

‘Kind of like you used to be’ a voice in the back of her head reminded her. Remembering the things she did and the way she acted before her dad went broke always made Valerie cringe and feel like she could just sink through floor in embarrassment. As much as she wanted to hate the A-list crowd for being fair-weather friends, she knew that to some of her middle school friends she had been no better. It wasn’t just the fact that she didn’t know the phone number that kept her from trying to call up Alexis again. It made her feel even worse, thinking of Danielle and how the younger girl looked up to her so much. But she wasn’t that person anymore, Valerie argued to herself, all she could do was put that behind her and resolve not to become that person again.

The ring of her phone brought her out of her thoughts. It was from her father, something had to have happened to wake him up after a long night of work.

“Hey Dad” Valerie asked, “Is everything all right?”

“I’m fine, but there’s something I need to talk to you about.” He said.

“Oh, I’ll be home as soon as I can” she said. She was a bit worried now. had her Dad found out something about her ghost hunting gear? He was never crazy about the idea of her hunting the ghosts that plagued the town. Though he recently let up and allowed it as long as she had protection and good gear. She left the library and made for home as quickly as possible. The only ghost she ran into on the way back was the Box Ghost and he was easy enough to deal with, just the sight of her ghost ray was enough to send him flying off. When she arrived she was braced for another argument about ghosts and putting herself in unnecessary danger, what she wasn’t prepared for was to see her father sitting at the table looking almost as bleak and depressed as he did the days after her mother’s death.She recognized the package from a few days ago lying on the table. He wasn’t supposed to see that.

“Dad….” She said going over to him, “never mind that. It’s probably just a really sick joke.” She made a motion to pick it up but he stopped her.

“It’s not a joke,” he said. His voice sounded heavy and a bit like he had a cold. “I….I never did tell you about your mother did I?” Valerie sat down, not exactly sure what to say. “I found out when we were engaged. No, not like- Maria didn’t use her ability all the time. She was happy and confident enough as she was. She told me a week or two before the wedding. I always sensed that her family wasn’t exactly approving but I could never quite figure out why. I’ll admit I thought it was joke until she proved it to me by turning into a popular movie star before my very eyes. “

Valerie just listened, trying to process it all. Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t that much more farfetched than poltergeist like ghosts tormenting the town or a little girl-or man- who could be part ghost and part human. She nodded to tell her father she was listening.

“When we got married, well, your mother found that she didn’t have as much money as she normally did. Her head of household was not terribly pleased that she chose to marry me rather than the man that he had in mind.” He explained, “But we still occasionally got money from her immediate family, including your aunt and I had a good job. We moved to Amity Park soon afterward, Maria was curious about living in a neighborhood outside the one she grew up with. We had you. We only had a conversation once that I could remember about what if you inherited the same unusual abilities as her.”

“But I didn’t” Valerie said, “I can’t turn into people.”

“True” Damon nodded, “I never did find out much more about how that worked. Before you reached the age when they would show up, your mother…was killed.” Valerie felt a little bit of moisture in her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything lest she be overcome with emotion. “One afternoon she told me that she thought someone might have seen something. Nothing came of it so we forgot it though she was terribly worried that she had been careless. Sometime after well…..it happened.” She nodded. It had been so long since either of them really sat down and discussed her mother, after her bout of sadness and sensitivity as a child and the occasional anniversary discussion.

“She mentioned going to a private school” Damon said, and he placed a book on the table. It was white with a black and gold emblem on the front reading Prometheus Institute. Valerie pulled it over and looked through it. It was a scrapbook of photos from her mother’s school years. When she got her first glimpse of her mother, she felt her heart skip a beat. Her teenage mother despite a few minor differences had an almost eerily close resemblance to her. She saw a picture of her mother and another woman who might be her aunt posing for a photo. They both dressed in individualized variations of a white, gold and black uniform. In the background were bits of a campus that looked reminiscent of a university. In some other pictures Maria Blake was trying things with her hair, different colors and highlights. There were a few pictures of other people, friends. In one picture she had a rabbit on her lap-and something about the way the rabbit was positioned made it look uncannily human-esque.

“I didn’t know what to look out for, how to tell with you. I know, I could have called her family but they already didn’t approve. I was afraid they would blame me somehow.”

“There’s no good reason for them to” Valerie said. She picked up the letter from the mysterious JM, and read over it again. When she had gotten the letter it had felt just like the package she got from Vlad Masters, she was determined not to be a fool again. Now that her father was backing up what the letter said, it wasn’t that simple anymore. She didn’t want to do something because a letter said she should. “Do you still have their number?”

“I think so” Damon said. He got up and went off to his room, while Valerie looked at the letter and the photo album. It was then that she noticed the extra papers inside of the package. It couldn’t have been so thick from just two papers. She reached over and pulled the thick stack of papers out. Jasper Monroe, whoever he was had sent her registration papers along with a school handbook. Her father came back with an old address book and showed her a particular page. “This is your Aunt Caroline’s number and address,” he told her, “She lives in Pennsylvania with the rest of the Blake family.” If she was going to make this decision, she was going to make it on the word of family, not some random man she’s never met.

****

It was Friday evening when Maddie and Jack Fenton finally got a response from Jasper Monroe. Maddie was cleaning up the kitchen while Jack fixed up an invention in the family room, Danny and Jazz had gone off to their rooms. No words were said about Prometheus Institute. The both of them started when the phone rang. When Jack went back to his invention Maddie sighed and got up to answer it. 202 area code, that couldn’t be right.

“Jack, do you know anyone in Virginia?” Maddie asked.

“Virginia? “ Jack looked up again, “Hey, that’s ol’ Uncle Jasper!” He got up and snatched up the phone before Maddie could pick it up. She sighed and pressed speakerphone. “Hey!”

 “Hello Jack,” It was almost impossible to not hear the impatient sigh the words were spoken with.

“So you got our letter.” Jack asked.

“Apparently so,” Jasper said curtly, “Let’s make this quick-“

“Not so fast” Maddie said, “We have some things to talk about. I can respect your family’s beliefs and traditions, but Danny and Jazz are our children.” Unbeknownst to them Danny was listening invisibly to the conversation “Regardless of whether or not they have the supernatural abilities, it is up to us-“

“That, Madam, is where you are incorrect” Jasper interrupted, “Yes, they may be your children but they are also Psi and distant members of the Monroe family. As head of household it is my jurisdiction to act in the best interests of the members of my family-immediate and extended, as Jack is fully aware. If I would be so bold as to guess, I might say that he didn’t inform you of this because he assumed that his children would not inherit Psi ability or escape my notice.” Jasper could be just as sharp as Maddie and Jack noticeably winced at his implied rebuke.

“Don’t speak that way to my husband.” Maddie said. “and I never agreed to that.”

“Well regrettably I don’t need you to. I am sorry for your shock; this is always a hard concept for the mundane to get used to.” Jasper said.

“Excuse me?” Maddie raised her voice. Danny clenched his fists wishing that he could blast this jerk just once. It wasn’t just the words but the patronizing, self righteous tone they were spoken in. For a moment he felt bad about wanting to go to the school, but he couldn’t just ask Sam to change her mind after he had told her to do what she wanted.

“Mundane,” Jasper sighed. “It is not an insult. It means that you are merely not a Psi. Have you considered, Madam, that maybe being in a community of people like them might be better for your children than the mindless factory that is the public school system? It is tradition for young Psi in the family to attend the illustrious Institute within the Psi community for at least one year. Besides the deed had already been done. Now, I am willing to work with you. I will be arriving on the next flight to discuss matters further.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:   
> Well this took much longer than I hoped it would but finally it is done. If you have any questions feel free to PM me or ask in reviews. One thing though I feel I should address.
> 
> Yes, the Traditionalist families are quite rich (families like Monroe, Blake, as well as Stryke and Toyaka). Part of this is because they are old money, and part is because some of them have long tradition of taking advantage of mundanes whether it be because they feel that they might as well use what they were blessed with or because of some kind of passive-aggressive revenge for The Spanish Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials. Instead of cutting themselves off from the mundanes like the Pureblood Wizards in Harry Potter, the Traditionalists live in their world and play along with them, often with the silent satisfaction that they are ‘beating the muns at their own game’ . Now not all Psi are like this as you’ll see later, but the many of the most illustrious and old Traditionalist families are. It’s certainly not right, but it is part of why they got so rich. 
> 
> Next chapter we get to meet Jasper Monroe, and if you thought he was a jerk before…
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really look forward to writing the next (and never fear I will make sure to save it on my hard drive before I save it to my flash drive) Oh and you will get to see Vlad and what he’s up to very soon.


	3. Jasper Monroe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper Monroe arrives and Jack gets a bitter reminder of his childhood , growing up in a branch of the Monroe family that didn't possess Psi abilities. Jasper explains abilities and Tucker is disappointed when he learns of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello all. Thank you so much for the faves, alerts, and reviews. Every single one of them brightens my day. I hope you enjoy this chapter. You might be interested to know that while writing this story I made a few minor tweaks to the work this world comes from. I apologize for the time I took; I got a bit distracted this month. Also for later reference on my dA page is a map of Prometheus Institute.

 

“The nerve of him!”  Maddie muttered slamming down the phone, “Just who does that man think he is?”   Jack laughed a bit sheepishly and looked away making her feel a little guilty.  She had been short with him quite a bit lately perhaps unintentionally punishing him for the actions of Jasper.  “I’m sorry, Jack.  It’s not your fault.  But I can’t help wondering how you and your family put up with him.” Jack shrugged.

“We just do what he said mostly.”  He admitted, “He never paid much attention to my part of the family, so I honestly didn’t think he’d pay attention to us. “  He took on a slightly more determined demeanor. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t have a few words with him about the way he treated you.”     Maddie smiled.     It was something she loved about her husband that his loyalty never failed.   Now that left one question though.  What were they going to do?

            “Did you ever hear about this school?”  she asked him. 

            “Yep.  A bunch of my cousins went there” Jack said, “I have to admit I was pretty jealous.  I was stuck at some boring regular school while they went off to school in ghost –central!”  He looked away for a moment, betraying a bit of anxiousness.  “Would it bother you if...Danny and Jazz were…different?”  Maddie shook her head in disbelief.  She had been almost militant because Jasper was trying to make choices for them, but it hadn’t occurred to her that she might come across as if she were upset about her children having the abilities Jack had spoken of. 

            “Of course not,” she said, “But, I’d like Danny and Jazmine to know that they can make their own choices in life.   This is their choice.  If they don’t want it though, I’m not going to have this man force it on them.  If they say no and he tries to push it, he’ll be out of here faster than you can say ‘Anti-Creep stick’. “As they went off to bed Maddie thought back to Danny and Jazz’s childhoods.   During the week, Jazz had come to them privately and told them about her visions.  It explained the dreams she had in childhood, or the peculiar Trouble Sense that all but faded away as she grew into adolescence.    But Danny had yet to say anything, leaving them to speculation.  He didn’t show any obvious signs of Psi ability but Maddie did remember he had such a problem with low grade fevers when he was a child.  She couldn’t help wondering why her youngest child felt like he couldn’t confide in them about what ability he had.  Had she and Jack not made it clear enough that they loved him no matter what he was?

****

            Danny left soon after breakfast getting the sense that he should probably get out of dodge when his mother had her words with Jasper.  While it would be satisfying to see him get put in his place –for probably the first time in his life from what he knew and heard of the man.   He would be lucky if she didn’t have at him the moment he walked in the door.   

            “Danny, sweetie, could I ask you something?”  The hairs on the back of Danny’s neck stood up. 

            “Uh sure…”he said, hoping desperately that she wouldn’t talk him into a corner.  He hated being forced to lie to her. 

            “Your power,” she said, “Your sister told us hers and we’re still trying to figure out yours. “   

            “I’m not exactly sure.” It was a half truth, he was precisely certain whether his freezing ability was entirely a ghost power or not. “Sorry, I gotta go meet Tucker and Sam.” 

            “I see…one more question though.  Do you really want to go to this school?”   Maddie asked. 

            “I think...I think I do.  Sam and Tucker are considering going to it to.  It was different when I would have been going alone. If that’s okay.  But I still don’t like how that jerk treated you.”  He said.  His cell phone vibrated signaling text message.  “I gotta go.  I love you, Mom”    Danny left still feeling a little guilty about his half truth to her.  It was times like this he wished he could tell her about his ghost powers.   But if they knew, it would put them in danger from the Guys in White and other ghost enemies.  He was glad that at least he didn’t have to worry about them rejecting him anymore.

 

****

He met with his friends at the Nasty Burger for an early lunch.  Tucker had managed to find a bunch of information about Prometheus Institute’s handbook, campus and classes.   The campus reminded him very much of a university there was a library a school store for school supplies and a bunch of buildings.  Sam marveled over the diverse class list they had. 

“Composition, Shakespeare, Literature, Pop literature AND Literature discussion.”  She said, “It really is like a college.  What did they say was the youngest grade here?”

“6th grade’ Tucker said, “though apparently in the UK that’s when you start high school.”

“Whose bright idea was that?”  Danny asked.  He would have gotten completely wasted if he started high school at only eleven years old.  “So there’s a lot to choose from. Somehow though I get a nasty feeling that ‘Uncle’ Jasper might insist on choosing them for me.” 

“Sheesh, talk about a control freak.” Sam said, “Surely your parents wouldn’t let him get away with that.”

“Mom won’t.  Dad seems a little intimidated by him.”  Danny shook his head, “the guy’s a jerk.  You should have heard the way he spoke to my mom last night.  I almost wish I could give him a visit as Phantom and-”

“I don’t know dude, somehow threatening your rich and super powered uncle doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Tucker said. 

“Well, I think your mom can stand up for herself. She’s a ghost hunter” Sam said, “And I’m sure your Dad wouldn’t take someone treating her badly. But more importantly you shouldn’t make exceptions to your morals just because you think someone deserves it.”

“What?” Tucker looked at her, “but weren’t you the one who was telling Danny to use his powers to keep people from buying awesome cars last year?”

“Well you know what?  I was wrong then, okay, I admit it.”  Sam said, “I was wrong and selfish and I’m sorry.  Danny you have amazing powers, and that also means you have to be even more careful.   You start using them the wrong way maybe a few times, and justify yourself and pretty soon you’ll start doing it more.”  It seemed like a clever idea at the time but looking back it made her shudder at what she was encouraging Danny to do. 

“Thanks…but I know that Sam.  I still remember the CAT test,” he said.  “I’m not going to do anything to him with my powers.”    ‘Unless he uses his against Mom and Dad.’, he amended in the back of his head.   He and his friends went on to continue synchronizing their schedules. 

****

Jasper arrived in a sleek, new looking car no doubt rented for the trip.  Maddie was rather cool but not yet outwardly hostile toward him.  Jack waited for his arrival spending an hour preparing how he was going to tell Jasper off for his shortness toward Maddie.  When he arrived, shown in by Jazz, Jack prepared to say something.  Jasper met his eyes with a cool, somewhat annoyed gaze. 

He had often gotten that look from that man as he was growing up.  The previous head of household who was Jasper’s father rarely even acknowledged the Fenton branch of the family-as if it didn’t even matter that they troubled to show up.  Jasper had actually talked to them a few times but most of his encounters when they were young had been criticisms or corrections.  However Jack had misjudged their acquaintanceship as a kind of friendship so he had been excited when he found that Jasper was the next head of house even when none of his siblings had.  His siblings bitterly lamented that it was no use going to the reunion because regardless of what the Monroe’s said, they weren’t really important what with being descended  from what was called an ‘empty generation’.  Their great grandparents had missed the Psi gene and since they didn’t feel they belonged as much, became distant from the main family. 

None of Jack or siblings had inherited Psi abilities either.  While Jack was excited at going to meet all his super-powered second and third cousins, his brother and sister just felt jealous.  They often asked to stay behind or slept over with their maternal relations when they could.  Jack vied for the approval of his unique cousins.  A few were friendly but some of the others would roll their eyes likely thinking “not  _him_  again”.  His sister had tried to save him from the disappointment by explaining that Jasper wasn’t particularly close to any of them.  There was no nice way to tell your little brother that someone he thought was his friend just put up with him.

 Jack insisted that she was wrong and that Jasper was his buddy.  When they arrived he went to find Jasper right away and tried to make conversation with him.  What a shock it had been to hear Jasper snap back that he was busy and he didn’t have time for Jack’s foolishness.  The only mercy perhaps was that Jack didn’t overhear Jasper telling his brother to make sure Jack stayed out of his way.  He tried to talk again but it didn’t do much good.  Whatever feeling he had that he had a friend in Jasper was gone.  They talked far less after that and now Jack could understand his siblings’ resentment toward the Monroe branch.  That look of Jasper’s never failed to make Jack feel small and insignificant.  The older man nodded toward him and hung his coat. 

“Mr. Monroe?” Maddie asked.

“Yes, I presume you to be Mrs. Fenton?” Jasper asked. 

“Yes” Maddie said, “And I presume you to be the man who signed my children up for a school in England and then blatantly disrespected myself and my husband.”   Jasper was quite taken aback; few people spoke to him in such away.  He tried to appear intimidating as he met her eyes.

“Yes, madam, I am here to talk about that.” he said, “I mean you no disrespect by merely enforcing my family’s rules.”

“Well I believe in family rules as well” Maddie said, “But I also believe that children deserve a chance to make their own choices about some things.”   Jasper raised an eyebrow sardonically.

“Surely there are choices you don’t want your children to have the option of” he said.  Maddie crossed her arms. 

“Well of course.  I did say  _some_  things, Mr. Monroe.” she said, “While they’re still young I can keep them from the other things.  But I know I cannot possibly presume to be in control of everything in their lives.  If I make every important decision for them now, they’ll be unable to do anything on their own.”   Jazz and Jack were watching the two, like one would watch a tennis match.  Jack knew how rigid Jasper was and they both knew how stubborn and persistent Maddie was.  This could go on for ages or get really,  _really_  ugly.

“Okay then” Jack interrupted, “Let’s go talk about the school and stuff, eh?”  Jasper relented, his younger distant cousin could be annoying but he was making quite a sensible suggestion.

“Yes,” he said, “That should do nicely.”  Jack led them into another room where they could talk privately.

****

After working on their schedules, which were now as synchronized as they could get while still taking all the classes they wanted, the three best friends went off to the mall to relax.  FYE had managed to recover from the ghost fight it suffered earlier and Danny and Sam purchased a few movies to enjoy for the remainder of their summer. When they returned to the Fenton house with milkshakes in hand and shopping bags, Sam noted the car in the driveway.  It was very new, fairly expensive in model and far more normal than the Fenton RV.  Jazz was out reading on the front porch and looked up.

“Looks like you had fun” she noted.

“Yeah.  How’s it been?” Danny asked.

“Ugh terrible. I had to go outside because it got so uncomfortable watching Mom and Dad argue with Mr. Monroe” she shook her head, “Honestly I couldn’t blame Mom if she pulled out the AntiCreep stick.” Danny noticed she was no longer calling him ‘Uncle Jasper’.  Good, that gave him an excuse not to either.     When they entered the house however instead of seeing chaos like he expected they found relative peace and quiet with some very calm talking behind a closed door.

“…how long did you say you’d been out here?” he asked.

“I lost track when I got lost in ‘Psychological Theories of the 19th Century.’”  Jazz said sheepishly, “I think an hour at least.”  The four of them settled around a plate of cookies, while Jazz looked over their schedules and made suggestions.   Within a half hour the adults came out.  Jasper Monroe was a bit younger than Danny expected, though still older than his father.  Still the man carried a walking stick with a rather ornate top-handle. 

“Hello, Jasmine, Daniel and…” his eyes swept over Sam and Tucker, “friends I presume.” Sam and Tucker got their things together wondering if they should leave the Fentons to what was obviously family business. “You may as well stay.  What I have to tell my niece and nephew may pertain to you as well, as you are also one of our kind.”

“Niece and nephew” Jazz asked, “pardon me sir but according to the family research I did, you’re technically their cousin.”  Jasper gave a long slow breath as if he were trying not to lose his temper.

“I shall explain  _that_  as well.” He said.  “Please be seated.” The teenagers all exchanged looks but sat down. 

“How can you tell that we’re Psi?” Sam asked.

“We all have a sense that allows us to know one of our own. “Jasper started, “If you were raised mundane it would likely appear to be perhaps a vague sense that something is unusual about somebody but you cannot tell what.  In a crowd of peers it’s not uncommon that Psi will unwittingly gravitate towards people like themselves.   As seen here” He nodded at Danny and his two friends. 

“I didn’t choose them because they were Psi” Danny said, “Heck I didn’t even know I was one.  I just chose them because they were cool to hang out with.”

“I did say unwittingly, Daniel” Jasper reminded, “I don’t doubt that you have your own reasons for your choices in friends.  But I do believe that your sixth sense, so to speak, had something to do with your choice” Danny didn’t say anything but shot Jasper an annoyed look.

“So we have a Psi sense” Jazz said, “okay sure.  That’s a little weird but it makes sense.  I guess. So how do powers work exactly?”

“Your ability” Jasper said, “should normally manifest anywhere between the age of five years to fifteen in some dire cases.  However I am told that you live in a house  _dripping_  with ectoplasm which has been proven to slow or tamper with the development of Psi abilities.”  He spoke of ectoplasm with obvious disdain. 

“How do you know what power you have?”  Tucker asked somewhat eagerly.  He hadn’t noticed any obvious signs of a superpower. 

“There has been a lot of research into that matter, but we have found a consistent set of symptoms for each ability.”  Jasper said.

“Symptoms?  That makes it sound like a disease.” Sam commented. Jasper looked at her impatiently and Sam only replied with an apathetic look that served her well through high school. 

“Signs, then, of oncoming Psi ability.”Jasper said, “There are a number of signs for each ability sometimes mistaken for disease.”  He reached into a briefcase he had brought with him, retrieving a spiral bound book.   “Perhaps I can shed some light for those of you still unsure what your ability might be.”  He turned a few pages in the book and started reading.

“The most common power is telekinesis, the ability to move things with ones’ mind.  Signs of it coming are often  unconsciously manipulating objects, nosebleeds, and a problem with headaches which is an ongoing issue.  Headaches inhibit telekinetic ability, and come about when the power is overused. “    Danny looked to his other friends, Tucker and Sam both shrugged or shook their heads.

“Well then…Clairvoyancy.  A power oft misrepresented by the mundane media.  It is the ability to see into the past present and future.” He started.

“Wait …how do you see into the present?” Tucker said, “Everybody can do that.”

“I  _mean_  young man, seeing things that are happening in places at the same time far away.”  Jasper said.  “Those who are developing it have peculiar visions in their dreams.   It is possibly with proper development to shut out visions, and it is unlikely and unadvised to force a vision.” 

“I knew all those TV psychics had to be fakes” Jazz said. 

“Quite, some Psi do make a living off their ability but that is often greatly smoke and mirrors” Jasper said. 

“So Jazz was psychic?”  Sam muttered to Danny.  “Who saw that coming?”

“Didn’t I tell you about the trouble sense?” he said with a laugh. 

            “Moving along…”  Jasper looked at the two of them intently, “There is electrokinesis, the ability to manipulate electricity.  The first signs are extremely high fevers, a sudden increase in metabolism, and proneness for static shocks.”    Tucker had sat up at attention    but as he heard the list of symptoms slid back down.  Sam gave him a pat on the shoulder. 

            “We’ll get to it.”  she said.   Jasper flipped a page and began reciting again.

            “There are the two types of shape-shifters.” He started.

            “Two types?” Danny asked, “Why two?”

            “Because they work differently, Daniel, you cannot turn into both human and animal. Human-to-human shape-shifting is usually marked by unexplained pains and aches in the body, and flickering eye colors.  There are certain….risks and concerns that pubescent shape shifters should discuss with our school’s nurses” The look on his face made it clear that he wasn’t going into it and none of the teenagers wanted to ask. 

            “And the other kind?” Jazz asked, hoping to change the subject. 

            “Yes, Human to animal shape-shifting.”   Jasper began, “Like is counterpart, its development is marked by unexplained pains and aches, but also by the gradual understanding of animals, and the growth of fangs or claws.” 

            “Don’t you think people would notice that?”  Sam asked.

            “The growths are usually small but occasionally they get noticed, and people rarely believe the claims.”  Jasper said. 

            “Have you shifted into any animals lately Sam?” Tucker asked.

            “No, unfortunately” Sam crossed her arms and huffed, being a shape shifter would be cool. 

            “Next is Cyrokinesis, the power over ice.”  Danny sat up in rapt attention.  “Its manifestation is marked by low grade fevers and chills in childhood, as well as a perpetual coolness that is often mistaken for poor circulation.”  It sounded so familiar, getting strange fevers in second grade and being sent home early. 

            “That sounds like what happened to Danny,” Maddie said.  “For a little while.  They went away before anything else happened-”

            “Psi powers do not go away madam; they may, however hibernate when their development is slowed.”  Jasper corrected, “I take it that is your power Daniel?”   

            “I guess” Danny said.

            “Hm  well.  “He started to put away the book when Tucker spoke up.

            “What about the other ones?”   He gave an exasperated sigh but took out the book again. 

            “Cyrokinesis’ more destructive sibling, pyrokinesis is marked by high fevers and burn resistance of the skin.  The burn resistance process often includes unexplained marks or bruises on the body that go away in time.  Occasionally when a pyrokinetic is feeling a particularly strong emotion their skin will emit smoke.” 

            “Bet that makes enforcing a ‘no smoking’ policy a bit difficult” Danny remarked. 

            “Do you want to hear the rest or not,” Jasper demanded.  He continued reading, “and the last of what might be considered the nature based powers, geokinesis has two forms- terrain based and plant based.  The two may overlap a bit but for the most part it’s majorly one or the other. The first signs may include a strange sensation that the earth is shaking beneath one, and being able to ‘feel’ it so to speak, as well as experiencing lethargy when in the dark.”    He looked at Sam and raised an eyebrow. 

            “I trust that you have found your ability?”  he said.    She nodded just a bit awestruck at his ability to just _know_.  Was that part of the Psi sense?  Hardly, considering she didn’t ‘just know’ Danny’s ability.

            “Dude!  Can you read minds?” Tucker said.  He regretted it when he saw the momentary look of indignance on the man’s face.  ‘Right, they don’t like telepathy’. Jasper took a deep breath as if to calm himself.

            “No, I used my eyes.  I have made visits to young mundane raised relatives before and I recognize the expressions of young people who finally understood what made them so different from their peers.”  He said, “I would strongly discourage you from accusing Psi of being able to read minds-“

            “Accuse?”  Sam asked, “It was just a question.  You make it seem as if it’s a bad thing.” 

            “Well that’s how it’s generally seen amongst our people.  Before you judge you should know that there is far more to it than you think.”  He said, “Now…”  He continued reading through the powers.  Tucker became more and more discouraged as the list was read.    Danny watched the man and got a nasty suspicion that Jasper was aiming to do just that.     The more he saw of Jasper, it seemed, the more he found to dislike about him. 

            “and….last we have  techno-commutation.  This ability to interact with technology is usually marked by a constant ringing of the ears, with some the ability to hear the subtle noises household appliances, and a tendency to short circuit electrical devices.”  He shut the book with a snap. 

            “So…what my ability is being good with computers?  I already knew  _that_ ,” Tucker said.  He looked down at his feet and grumbled, “What a rip off.” Once again, even when he was special, he wasn’t as special as his friends.  They could do things like make ice and talk to plants, and all he could do was being really good at computers. 

            “I’m terribly sorry you’re disappointed, but it can’t be helped.”  Jasper replied.  He didn’t have to use words to make Tucker feel even worse or voicing his disappointment.  “Now, I must have some time with my niece and nephew to make further preparations.  You two, Daniel and Jasmine, will have to be prepared to leave within a week’s time.” 

****

            As they left, Sam tried to catch up with Tucker.  It hurt her to see her friend feeling so lousy.  She could understand his jealousy now; the poor boy really couldn’t seem to catch a break.   While she and Danny sometimes gave him a hard time about things or ribbed at him, it was never with the pure spite that Mr. Monroe had leveled at him. 

            “Tuck!  Hey, wait up!”  She hurried to catch up with him, “Tuck, I’m sorry.  That guy’s just a jerk; don’t let him make you feel bad.”

            “I’m fine” He said.  He certainly didn’t sound fine.

            “No you’re not, I know you” Sam said, “I think your power is pretty cool.  Besides, I and Danny don’t care if you have superhero powers or anything.  We hang out with you because we like you.  Powers or not.”   

****

            “We have a whole week.”  Danny said.  If he could feel that his eyes had turned from blue to icy blue he would have panicked.  “Right now, I just want to hang out with my friends and enjoy what I have left of summer. “ 

            “You still have placement tests young man-“ Jasper started. 

            “Which can be done  _tomorrow_.” Danny said, “Besides it might help if I could get a moment to study.”

            “Well how can I be sure that you will  _actually_  study?”  The older man asked. 

            “You’ll find out tomorrow then won’t you?”  Danny said.  He got up and went off to his room.  He heard Jasper call after him but ignored it.  Thankfully his parents were on his side about this. Jazz followed after him and closed the door, sensing that a long rant was about to follow.  That it did.  “…and what was he playing around with Tuck for?  For insulting his ego with that mind reading  comment?  Any guy who gets so worked up over a simple question probably has some serious issues of his own.  He reminds me of…he reminds me of Vlad! What with the comments, and the attitude and, the smarminess.  He’s  _exactly_ like Vlad. “

            “Well I don’t like him either,” Jazz said, “But how do you know he was deliberately messing with Tucker? It’s not like he knows him the way you do. All he can sense is that Tuck has powers.  Maybe that’s just the order of the list.  Unless we know what’s going on in his mind-“

            “Come on Jazz, it was all over his face” Danny said, “The guy’s just…he’s just a jackass.”Jazz looked at him in surprise.

            “Don’t let Mom hear you saying that.”  She said. He scoffed.

            “Somehow I think she’s thinking the same thing”

****

            “ _Jasper_ ” Maddie went to search out the man after dinner.  Jack had tried to talk to him and Jasper once again brushed him off.  It was her turn now.  “You are really pushing it.”

            “I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about Ms. Fenton.”  He, barely even looked up to acknowledge her.  With an exasperated sigh she came over and turned off the lamp.

            “Might I remind you that you are only staying because my children are interested in your school?  Though I can honestly say I’m surprised Daniel still is considering how you treated his friend.” She said.

            “Excuse me?  I told the boy about his power.”  Jasper said, “It’s not my fault he built up ridiculous expectation.  It’s the fault of those ridiculous comic books if anything.    What’s really on your mind Mrs. Fenton?” 

            “Well your attitude for one. “  she said, “You may be able to bully your relatives with threats to write them out of the will, but unfortunately for you we don’t care about your money. “

            “I resent your implications Mrs. Fenton.  I do not bully, I do my duty.” He said, standing up, “furthermore it’s curious that you are the one accusing me of being rude.  You have been against me from the moment we spoke.”   For once Maddie was disarmed and he took the opportunity.  “Tell me Madeline, are you really cross with me because I signed your children up for a proper school or because I saw the-forgive me but-  _painfully obvious_  signs of their abilities and you didn’t?” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay before anyone says anything, two things. One, just for the record, I like Tucker. He’s a cool guy. I hope it doesn’t come across that I’m picking on him or just don’t like him. There is more to his power than just ‘being good at’ technology. 
> 
> Second. Yes, Danny just slipped and said a bad word. I’m not trying to make him super edgy or anything, but I also know that sometimes even the squeakiest clean teenagers are capable of slipping up in a moment of anger. Heck one time when I was in high school I said “pissed off” in front of my dad no less- and I used to have a neurotic complex about ‘bad words’ when I was young. I did that to show that he was really annoyed with Jasper for being a jerk to his friend. I hope this chapter was all that it was built up to be. 
> 
> Oh one more concern. Jack. He really did honestly try to tell off Jasper but, well, given his history with Jasper, Jack had a bit of a hard time standing up to him. Everybody has a person at some point in their life that always manages to make them feel foolish and insecure. 
> 
> Anyway, we’ll be getting to Vlad and his business next chapter and we’ll be actually getting to the school very soon. Feel free to ask me anything you don’t understand
> 
> Happy End-Of-School-Year to you all,
> 
> JJ


	4. Lives Crossed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the departure date comes sooner , the teenagers deal with the finality of their decisions-stay in Amity Park or go to Prometheus Institute. Meanwhile Vlad plans to finally meet up with his new partner company.

Vlad Masters had a lot on his mind when he returned to his office that afternoon. The company was facing a lot of demands as of lately and forging the initial connection with the New Capulet company had been something of a relief. But then it came with its own challenges-as these things often do. The work for finalizing the partnership was split between both companies' leaders.

But of all the companies he could have collaborated with why did he choose New Capulet? Initially it didn't throw itself at Axiom as much as the other companies did. Vlad would have found a collaborator who was eager to kiss up to the influential Mr. Masters a tad annoying. Useful but annoying. The cell [phone company](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7848919/4/How-The-Other-Half-Lives) had a fairly interesting name.

There was also something intriguing about its leader that made Vlad rather curious. Normally he wouldn't be interested in a family with so much drama surrounding them, but something stood out about the Toyakas-their leader Kagami in particular. It was the feeling that something beyond the mere ordinary was going on with them.

When he entered his office he immediately felt something off about it. The room had been disturbed but where and specifically how he didn't know. Vlad fumed and cursed the name of a certain half ghost teenager. He wasn't oblivious he knew Danny had been keeping an eye on him since the incident with his disobedient creation. Once he even found his lab broken into and records from Danielle's creation and development stolen. Vlad went through the office looking for what might have been taken.

"Daniel, you are wearing on my patience" he said to himself, "and you are very fortunate that I have not lost it already." After all, it would be very easy to have Danny arrested on suspicion of [breaking and entering](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7848919/4/How-The-Other-Half-Lives) if he found his things at the Fenton house. Not to mention it didn't take much to get the Guys in White on Danny's trail. Yes, revenge could easily be had. But he had given up on Danielle by now. As far as he was aware, Daniel wouldn't gain much from the papers-it was doubtful he would even understand a lot of it.

[The phone](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7848919/4/How-The-Other-Half-Lives) rang as he tidied his desk up. Vlad picked it up; pushing aside plans to give Daniel a little warning about trifling with him. He recognized the number as one from England.

"Hello, is this Mr. Master's residence?" It was a female voice with a rather posh accent.

"Yes," Vlad said, "Mayor Masters is speaking."

"Mayor too? You never mentioned that. Quite a busy man." The woman on the [phone](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7848919/4/How-The-Other-Half-Lives) said, "This is Ms. Toyaka speaking, Mayor Masters." The amusement in her voice grated on his nerves.

"Ah Kagami." Vlad said, "To what do I owe this call?"

"I am awaiting our first meeting." Kagami said, "What's taking so long, Vladimir?"

"It's Vlad" Vlad corrected quickly. He regained his composure and tone, "There's no need to be impatient. I will be meeting you soon. I only need some time to take care of some preparations."

Danielle tuned the rest of the world out when she flew, all the noises of the city faded away. Valerie told her all about the school, that her mother went and Dani understood that she wanted to go and she said she didn't mind. It was half true. She was happy for Valerie getting to learn more about her mom's world and stuff.

But she was crushed that she would be gone for so long. She never realized how close she had gotten to Valerie until then. The thought of not seeing her for a whole year made her stomach ache.

And that made her feel pretty selfish. Dani told herself that was going to see Valerie again, and she still had Danny-which cheered her up a little bit. But it all came crashing down when she eavesdropped on the Fentons and a strange guest. The odds were just phenomenal. Both people she loved the most were leaving. As she flew back to her home she found herself crying.

That was the second time this month she had actually cried and about the fiftieth time she felt like crying in two weeks. She didn't know why but her emotions had been going haywire lately. Valerie assured her it was probably just due to her hitting puberty earlier in the summer (she wouldn't go into detail but let's just say it was a relief to know that she wasn't actually dying due to a malfunction of ecto-dejecto. Vlad never told her women did  _that_.)

You see, crying wasn't normally something Dani did. Before her near death, she could count all the times she cried on one hand. When she was very young and still in training, she got injured. Being such a young child of course, she cried. She could still remember the expression of disappointment Vlad gave her for it.

"Don't let your enemies see your weakness Danielle" he had told her as he repaired her wounds, "They'll use it against you." He taught her after that to channel her emotions into fighting and soon it just became a habit. It certainly didn't hurt her fighting skills. When she faced down Vlad, after hearing that he would watch her die for his perfect clone, it took almost all that was in her not to let tears fall. But she pushed them away, remembering what he said. She made sure he knew then, he was no longer Daddy, he was the enemy.

But ever since the whole destabilization fiasco, she found herself doing it more often. It started with her death experience triggering the guilt of killing the prime clone. Well, really more like causing the death, and not really feeling bad for awhile. At that time Dani couldn't stand that prime clone. While she was deluded into thinking that Vlad would save her, she still, in the back of her mind, knew that he wanted that clone more. When he spun his lies to her she only believed because she desperately wanted to. She should have known it was too good to be true. To watch him stare longingly at the 'good clone' (yeah, she heard that. She didn't want to but she did) only made her hate him even more. She would come out of training simulations and see Vlad just gazing past her, at him. . If anyone got too close to the chambers the man would break out of his 'loving father' façade to snap at them if only for a minute. But for the three of them who hung on his words-whether it be from lack of proper sentience or from a desire to be loved, a minute of his disapproval hurt just as bad as a punch to the gut. She used to remember going to sleep in the lab at night, and wondering what was so special about him.

It was only until after Dani had experienced death like he did that she realized things. The clone was just the same as he was, and it never asked to be Vlad's favorite. He was just like the others, her younger brother, and she caused his death. Afterwards she hardly even cared. Oh yeah, she thought it was sad when it happened. But she didn't mourn him like the others. She just wanted to forget him. Mere days after she was stabilized Dani returned to the old fort she lived in and cried. She felt little shame for crying about this, in fact it seemed like crying wasn't enough. It made her stomach sick to imagine what Danny and Valerie would say if they knew her true feelings toward her brother.

Valerie found her, and seemed to assume at first it was because of a nightmare or some sort of trauma left over (Dani did have nightmares of being melted and dissected.) Dani tried explaining, though deep down she really didn't want her surrogate older sister to understand. When she did figure out Valerie held her close and reassured her that what it mattered most was that Dani did feel something eventually.

"but-"

"What you had is a thing called 'sibling rivalry'" She said, "It happens all the time especially to parents who hold ridiculous expectations for their children. Vlad set you two against each other." Valerie stayed with Dani the whole afternoon and that night let her sleep over. That night Dani picked out a star and named it "Primus" for him. It still hurt to think back on that time in her life. What Valerie told her about sibling rivalry was a reason, but it wasn't an excuse.

After that she had a few more instances, and it made Dani feel a little disappointed in herself. But, for all she knew it was just something other girls her age experienced. She wiped her tears away and made towards Valerie's house. She needed to talk to somebody. As she landed she almost jumped, swearing that she heard something. "Pull yourself together" she said to herself. She found a place to change back and then found the back way into the building. She always used this way because it was so much easier and kind of a habit by now. She found Valerie sitting at the table reading.

"Valerie, Danny's going to the school too." Dani said. Valerie looked up.

"What?" She asked, "Danny? How do you know?" It was nice to hear her refer to him as Danny and not Phantom.

"I went to his house. There was some guy with a fancy car talking to his parents about the school." Dani said. She took a seat at the table across from her surrogate older sister.

"Well this is just great!" Valerie sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I mean, what are the odds, really." It was obvious she saw the major problem here, Dani thought, that Amity was open for attack with two of its protectors gone. She had fought some of the ghosts in town, but Danny had powers she didn't like the Ghostly Wail and Valerie had weapons. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Valerie said, "He does seem the type."

"So what are we going to do?" Dani asked.

"We'll find a way to make it work" Valerie said, "now what's really the problem?" She put a hand on Dani's shoulder. Dani looked down at her shoelaces, unsure how to say this without sounding, needy.

"You and Danny are the only people I really know and…well" she said, "a whole  _year_  without you…" In her mind she weighed the importance of not sounding like a little girl versus not seeing two members of her family for a year. The latter won out. "Can I go with you?" The older girl's eye widened.

"As much as I would like that" she started, "You don't have any official records proving your legal existence. Getting you through airport security would be impossible."

"If I were only human" Dani reasoned. "I'm a ghost"

"...Yeah, they're going to let a ghost buy a plane ticket. No chance of mass hysteria and chaos there." Valerie said.

"Who says I need a ticket?" Dani looked at Valerie with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"...You think you can stay invisible a whole flight?" Valerie asked skeptically. Dani sighed in frustration.

"I just need to stay invisble long enough to get in on the plane and then I'll blend in with the other kids" she said. There would surely be lots of children there and the flight attendants would be too busy to spot one that hadn't been there before.

"...and what if the whole thing's booked up?" Valerie said. Dani sighed, for all her planning she hadn't thought of any of this. She tried to think of a way out of that one.

"By the middle of the flight they won't be counting tickets and seats." She suggested lamely.

"No. But people will be  _in_  seats." Valerie said. She massaged her temples and heaved a sigh.

"Then ...uh we hope it isn't booked" Dani shrugged nervously, all out of answers. Then she remembered one of her powers. She was hesitant to suggest it because it seemed like such an invasion of privacy and what with Val having been so wary of ghosts before... But it was the perfect answer. "Um well, there is one other thing"

Valerie raised a brow... "Go on."

"Overshadowing?' Dani suggested quietly

"...Perfect," Valerie said, Sounds great."

Dani looked up shocked at how easy it was. "Really?"

"It's got a zero percent chance of failing," Valerie responded, "All those others- they have a chance of error, and we don't want your face on any watchlists, or you being taken away during this... That method... It looks like it's safest for both of us."

"I was worried you wouldn't like it" she said, "Because, me just taking over you..." In the time she had been free from Vlad, she started thinking about the ethics of overshadowing. She now knew how skewered the 'ethics' he taught her were.

"...Danielle. You honestly think I wouldn't trust you?" she asked, almost amused... "You..." She seemed to pause, thinking of the best way to put it... "...You're the only person I know who's more down and out than I am."

Dani smiled. "It's not that, it's just I didn't want to take chances and lose someone so important to me"

"Dani... You'd have to do something pretty bad to lose me." She felt relief wash over her

"That's refreshing to know"

Valerie hugged the girl, "Now. When we get there's going to be a bit more difficult, but we'll handle it a step at a time." She knew she'd probably tap into her fund of 'rainy day' money from when she did jobs for Vlad...

Danny was not having a good day right now. Heck he hasn't been having a great week. Ever since Jasper Monroe showed up he's been breathing down all their necks. Right now Danny was stuck doing some test in the middle of summer and reconsidering even going to this school. If everyone was going to be like Jasper he wasn't sure he could take it.

He bubbled in answers, as he heard Jasper talking with his parents in the other room. This reminded him of the CAT test, though in this case he doubted he could even get away with cheating. His wrist ached and after bubbling in the last question he set his pencil down for a moment. He was already finished with the reading section now he was stuck on math. Because Jasper was some sort of sadist obviously, he wouldn't allow Danny to use anything beyond a scrap of paper and a basic calculator. He got up and went to get a snack.

As he returned with a shake in hand and a salami and cheese sandwich, he heard the door open. Jasper gave him one of those critical and cold looks.

"What are you doing, Daniel?" he asked.

"Having a break" Danny said. Jasper was almost worse than Vlad in his house. Almost.

"Do you get breaks in the middle of exams at your school?" Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"No but I have the advantage of taking these in my house so I might as well make the best of it" Danny said. He ignored whatever nasty look the man threw at him and ate his lunch. When he was finished he got to working on the test again.

It was a grueling half hour before he finished the test and having Jasper over his shoulder making small 'tsks' made a bad enough experience even worse. Finally when he was done he shoved the papers away. "Done, now I'm going to go and try to relax, if you don't mind."

Jasper picked up his papers and stacked them neatly. "I shall call you when I'm finished grading" he said, putting on a pair of reading glasses, "In the meantime I left your uniform on your bed. I made a vague estimate to your size so I would suggest you try it on-I was expecting you to take after your father"

"Great" Danny muttered. He tossed his smoothie towards the sink and left the room not bothering to see if it made it in. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Jasper's comments on his math grade. At least when Lancer talked to him about his grades, he really cared. Jasper probably only cared about what image it might give the Monroe family if, heaven forbid, one of their members weren't good at something. He went on to his room, to finally get a moment of piece.

If Jasper Monroe was trying to make Prometheus Institute or the Psi community itself look appealing, he was failing horrifically at it. In fact Danny found himself thinking that Casper High might not be so bad after all. At least he got to go home afterward. When he entered his room sure enough he found a set of clothes folded on the bed. They looked about a size too big for him. If this had been his freshman year in high school it would have been three sizes too big. It seemed like ghost-hunting was a good alternative for gym class. Shame he couldn't tell Tetslaff that.

Lying on top of the clothes were a gold and black tie and a school crest pin. The letter P guarded by two swords. Fancy. He started putting the clothes on, and as he did, he thought about what a whole year away from Amity Park would be like. He did have his friends, but there would be no Nasty Burger just British food, which for all he knew really was nasty.

Anyway he had responsibilities here with ghosts and Vlad and Danielle. As Danny tightened his tie he made a mental note to talk to Danielle when he got the chance. Maybe he shouldn't go after all. It would be so satisfying to go out there and tell Jasper he decided not to go after all.

"-Danny?" a voice behind him asked. He almost jumped a half foot in the air. It was a female voice-not Jasper. Jazz stood behind him wearing a blouse with a tie and a pleated skirt-all in shades of gold, white and black. In the mirror he could see her come up behind him. "You look nice in that."

"Yeah, thanks" Danny said somewhat grudgingly. Jazz put a hand on his shoulder.

"You seem a bit tense about all this. Penny for your thoughts, little bro?"

"I don't know if I'm making the right choice" he said, "I mean leaving Amity for a whole year for another country? " At first it sounded cool, but now, it's almost like I'm running away from my responsibilities

"Danny," she said, "If this place can help you harness more powers... You're doing Amity Park a favor. Besides, I'm sure mom and dad can handle the place for the school year." That was what got his interest in the first place, a school full of people with abilities. While he couldn't be completely honest about his supernatural skill set, he could pick up things from them. He was reassured to hear Jazz reaffirm his reasoning until he thought of something.

He sighed, "But what if something happens that they can't handle?" Who knows how many evil ghost kings there were-or how long it took a Fenton Thermos to break. He didn't want to think about that second one.

"Valerie'll still be here. And if she's here, Vlad will know. And if it's something they can't handle, then it's large enough a scale for him to get involved. Like he did with the Pariah Dark incident."

"I guess" Danny said fingering his tie. He assured himself that Clock work was in control of that situation.

He looked in the mirror, mulling over the one thing that was left to debate on-telling his parents about his powers. He had lied to them for long enough, even past the point where he thought he had reason to be afraid.

"...I really think they should know" he said, "about my powers." The longer he kept it secret from him knowing they would accept and love him all the same was another day the guilt weighed on him.

"...that's your decision, Danny," she said, "...but I'm sure they'll be fine if you do."

"I know" he said, with a frustrated groan "after some experiences I had in other realities- long story-I've seen for myself that they will accept me, the only problem is that it might put them in danger, because of me"

"...Danny, come on. As if they're not in danger already with the one most known nexus between this world and the next in their basement." To that gave a reluctant smile, she had a point. As he thought about that he made the decision to tell them once and for all. But should he tell about Vlad? Without Danny there, surely Vlad would try something.

But, he realized, he and Vlad had an agreement. As long as Vlad kept his end of the deal by staying away from Dani and Valerie, Danny had said he would keep Vlad's identity a secret. If he broke that agreement, how was he any better than Vlad? All he could do was warning them that Vlad was no good, which he had done many times. He could always hope that Jazz would tell them. But that was it.

He was called into the kitchen soon after for Jasper to go over his grades, which actually meant harp on him over his math grades. Yep, not surprising. Danny tuned it out for the most part. He already knew he was bad at math, and he didn't see why it was such a big deal to Jasper. Was being perfect part of being Psi? He did give the man a nasty look when Jasper made a snide remark about him being "lazy" and seeking "pointless teenage activities".

It made his blood boil. He was only one of two people-well technically ghosts- protecting the entire city. Was that a pointless teenage activity? Would it be better that all of Amity got razed by ghosts, then? He knew that Jasper didn't know but the attitude got on his nerves. Of course Jasper didn't live in Amity, so it wasn't his problem. 'Get over yourself dude.' He thought.

"Are you done?" Danny asked. Jasper leaned toward him.

"Watch your tone." Danny smirked.

"I'd be careful. You know whose side my parents are on." He said. With satisfaction he watched the different expressions flash through Jasper's face.

"You wouldn't want to hurt your father, Daniel "he said levelly, "I would watch my mouth."

"Like mom would put up with your crap" Danny said ignoring Jasper's angry sputter, "and Dad loves her more than he's scared of you, I'm sure of it." The man slammed a huge book in front of him.

"The school handbook. I would suggest you read it, memorize it and know it as you know yourself. "He said, "Because if you get expelled from this school-"

"I won't get expelled." Danny said.

"I hope not. We have a reputation to upkeep." Jasper said, "Now as for your schedule-"

"Done" Danny took out the schedule he'd made out with his friends the other afternoon. At the man's look, he raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter Mr. Monroe? Surely there's not a problem with me choosing my own classes is there? Remember the conditions Mom set?" Jasper's mouth twitched.

"Very well. "He said, "I shall match this up with the results of your placement test. You are dismissed." Thankfully Jasper was true to his word-though Danny suspected that his mother made sure of that. He finished setting up Danny and Jazz's admission information and left as soon as he could. Danny was relieved to find that most of his and Jazz's school supply money was from his parents because he didn't want anything that Jasper could hold over him. He knew the whole reason that the Monroes were putting any money towards his and Jazz's admission was for their own status.

Before he left Jasper mentioned that it would be 'highly advisable' to arrive about a week before term started to give ample time for moving in. So Maddie bought tickets for the end of the week. A few days before that Danny decided it was time. He found them in the living room. Maddie was working on an invention and Jack was doing needlepoint. Seeing them together, acting like they always have made him feel a little better.

"Hey Mom, Dad" he said, "can we talk; I've got something to tell you." They both looked up.

"What is it, sweetie?" Maddie asked, "Does it have to do with your Psi power?"

"Yes and no" Danny said, "It's kind of a long story and I'll get to that soon. But first, I think you should know what REALLY happened two years ago with the Portal."

"What do you mean sweetie?" Maddie put aside her invention, "you haven't been feeling sick again have you?" He almost cringed remembering the days he spent in the ER after the accident.

"Not …technically. " he said. Would being half ghost count as getting sick? "See when I went in and got shocked…well being connected to the ghost zone means a lot of ectoplasm got...uh infused into me. "Maddie and Jack looked at each other in shock. It was one of the few times his Dad was so serious about something. Maddie got up and hugged her son tightly.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that" she said. "And I'm sorry we let it happen by being so careless. "

"Mom ….mom, I'm fine now" he said. Well mostly. "But what I need to tell you is, well the ectoplasm gave me abilities. "When his mother released him he stepped back and then transformed into a ghost before their eyes. They wouldn't believe it unless they saw it for themselves. As he changed, it occurred to him in the back of his mind that unlike the others this was a moment that could never be taken back. That was what scared him the most and had stayed his hand in doing it for so long.

When he finished, he watched his parents' faces. True he knew that they accepted him on other occasions, but there was still the creeping fear that it could be different. His stomach lurched as he recognized expressions of horror in their features.

"But –that's not supposed to be possible" Maddie said once she got her voice back.

"It is" Danny said. He changed back. "I know it's a shock, but it's possible." He took the opportunity to explain everything he could about saving the town, Walker and all that. When he finished he looked back at them, only just a bit worried about the response, which he thought was stupid considering he knew how this turned out. Surprisingly it was his dad that spoke first.

"And all this time we've been chasing you, attacking you and threatening you" he said "I'd be terrified if I were you. I'm sorry."

"I was at first." Danny said. "But then there were some alternate timelines-long story for another day-where I told you and you accepted it. The only reason I kept it after that is so the Guys in White wouldn't hurt you because of me. But now that I'm gone for a year the town will need your help to keep it safe." Maddie and Jack nodded.

"You can count on us sweetie." She said, " Now what's this have to do with your Psi ability?"

"Well, when Undergrowth took over the city, I used a new power to fight him. It was an ice power. Some friends in the ghost zone told me that it was a ghost power. It made sense at the time, explaining my ghost sense and how ghosts made people cold"

Maddie frowned, "It's supposed to be impossible for a human to maintain the cold temperature of a ghost for more than an hour."

"Well, being half ghost was also supposed to be impossible" Danny said.

"He has a point" Jack said. Maddie sighed but smiled.

"Well either way I'm glad you told us honey" she said, "Go on and go to school and learn what you can about your powers. We'll hold down the fort here." Danny was glad that he had the advantage of knowing he didn't have to worry.

Sam heard about everything from Danny on the phone. She was glad that his parents knew now; when they returned it meant less hiding and sneaking. Only she still had to hide and sneak with her own. Though she wouldn't mind that, if it meant they cared. They had been 'accepting' but in the 'okay honey do whatever you want' sort of way and the other night her mom almost seemed annoyed when Sam tried to talk with her. So much for being supportive she wouldn't hear anything about the school.

So she only had her grandmother to help, and as far as Sam was concerned that was just enough. She bought some tickets online the night after Danny called her about information so they would get the same flight. She passed on the news to Tucker though she wouldn't be surprised if Danny already told him. As she packed her bags Asmodeus watched and played with the threads of her sweater.

"No I need that Az" she said. "It's cold in England."

"You'll need more than a sweater, Sammy" she heard the sound of her grandmother's scooter coming in. Sam looked over the clothes she had. "You need something that weather a harsh winter."

"I think I have something colder" Sam said. She went into the closet and came out with her favorite black coat. "It doesn't get much warmer than this." She laid it out on the bed.

"Now are you sure that school won't have uniforms? Many of the ritzy schools up there have them you know" Grandma Ida warned her.

"I know. But that doesn't mean I can't display my individuality during non school hours." Sam laid out clothes, "We looked it up. According to school rules your uniform must consist of the school colors, white, gold and or black. By the way the rules read I can easily have a wardrobe of all black." Her grandmother chuckled approvingly

"Way to fight the system" she said. Sam looked down at her clothes and ran a hand down one shirt.

"Yeah" she said.

"Is anything bothering you?" Her grandmother was too in tune with her.

"Grandma…what was my birth last name?" Sam asked. She was unsure about asking this for fear that she came off as rejecting her family. But for days she had wondered and debated-whether to find out and risk hurting her birth family, or to keep quiet and never know. Even though she didn't want to hurt the ones she loved –though some of them were hurting her at the moment- it would drive her crazy never to be sure. She recalled something vaguely, perhaps with an S but it was always just beyond her grasp. She felt something on her hand and then looked up to see her grandmother smiling at her-without a trace of hurt.

"Stryke." She sounded the name out in her head a few times. It had a kind of ring to it-but she didn't know if she wanted to consider herself a Stryke. She didn't even know them and they gave her up.

"Thanks." She said. At least she had been told.

"It's no problem. Like I said you deserved to know." Sam and her grandmother folded the clothes and put them away in a suitcase. "Still so troubled? Let me guess you're all spun up frettin' over makin' lil' ol' me feel bad? Its fine- I wanted you to know every part of you."

"Thanks." She looked down at her clothes. It was still hard to believe she was going to a boarding school in England in a few days and not Casper High .It made her wonder about the future. Where would she spend her senior year, Casper High, or Prometheus Institute? What would PI be like? Would she miss her old school? She wouldn't know until she got there and tried it. The next day, she decided to tell her Mom and Dad she was going with the Fentons. They hated the Fentons, if nothing else snapped them out of it, this would.

"Mom, dad" she started, "I've got the tickets and I'll be leaving soon, for my school. I'm going to be going with the Fenton family since Danny is going to the school too" No reaction. Her parents just went about their business ignoring her. "Uh mom dad? Hello? I'm going to the Fentons tomorrow night. You could drive me if you want. Maybe we can talk?" Still her parents didn't do much. Allright that did it.

"HELLO? Your only daughter is going to another country until winter. Could you try to pretend you even care?" she said. Her mother gave her a nasty look.

"Samantha, are you trying to cause a problem?" she asked.

"No I'm trying to get you to  _care_  Mom. You complain that I never try to reach out to you. Here, I'm doing it." she said. Both her parents looked at her indignantly. "I would have preferred that you grounded me honestly. Or maybe even told me I couldn't go. It would have been nice to at least act like you still care about me. All you've told me is that the moment I go in a direction you don't approve of you won't want anything to do with me"

"Samantha we hoped you would be mature and see that this was the wrong way by yourself" her father said, "You are an intelligent young lady-"

"Why? I just want a chance to see the people and the community I was born in. Being a Psi is part of my heritage-just as much as being Jewish is. " Sam said, "But it seems like you didn't want me to know that seeing as my grandmother was the one who told me"

"Samantha, stop this nonsense" her father said, "We're trying to protect you"

"If you were trying to protect me you would have told me things!" Sam said, "When were you planning on telling me I was adopted?" The silence in the room was enough that one could hear a feather drop. "Oh, I see. Well I'm going to go now. Maybe now you can go adopt the daughter you always wanted." With that she stormed up to her room and started packing her things. She would be leaving sooner than planned-probably crashing at the Fentons for the night. She thought as she zipped up her suitcase, that she would learn about and maybe even become part of the Psi community-if anything it would drive her parents crazy.

But why should they care? They already rejected her.

Their last night in America was a decent one. Sam had spent the night in the Fenton's guest room. Despite the Manson's disapproval of them, Sam was always welcome in the Fenton home. Perhaps it was because Maddie felt bad for the girl with parents always trying to force her to be something she wasn't. She was shocked to hear of how the Mansons were taking this, and privately decided to have words with them once the kids were gone.

Sam however quickly forgot her problems the more time she spent with the Fentons. She never understood why Danny got so embarrassed; they were the most fun family she knew. Mostly because they were real. Unlike her parents trying to be something they weren't, the Fentons were themselves in spite of ridicule from others. She watched Dead Teacher movies with Danny while Jazz read a book on the English education system. Tucker watched too through a TV screen. His parents wanted more time with him. It almost made her envious for a moment, that he got what she had desperately wanted and took it for granted.

"Tucker, why don't you go talk to your parents" she said, "Just…be lucky that they actually want to spend time with you." Tucker looked taken aback and surprisingly he agreed and signed off. Danny looked like he wanted to say something but looked away. The silence afterward was awkward but eventually forgotten.

Danny woke up to the sensation of being poked. He looked up to find Sam standing over him dressed and ready. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was almost nine their flight left at eleven thirty.

"Late night huh?" she asked, "How long did you stay up?"

"Thanks." He said, "Too long apparently." He got up and made a dash for the bathroom. Getting ready that morning went at breakneck speed, quick shower, toss on clothes, have breakfast. He would also need plenty of time to make sure everything was packed-including a few pieces of ghost gear. He wanted to leave most of it for his parents but he would need some in case there were ghosts in England. There  _would_  be ghosts in England- he knew this. As he packed the last few things, into his bag he took one last look at the window outside. Just ironic for him that it was a nice summer day, perfect for a trip to Floody Waters amusement park.

Danny picked up his thermos and ran a thumb over the Fenton insignia. In his mind the memories of the last year flowed through his mind. The fights, the victories and the defeats. He had never thought about it, as it didn't seem so at the time, but it was a kind of fun, fighting ghosts and traveling the ghost zone. Amity Park was a cesspool of strange, but that's what gave it charm. He would miss it and all the ghost hunting and he had to admit that he'd be sorely disappointed if England had no ghosts.

"Hey" he looked up to see Sam behind him, "reminiscing about the good old days, huh?" He nodded, and started putting the thermos away in his bag.

"Never thought I'd be sorry to leave Amity and Casper High" he said, "But…I feel like I have a purpose here. At this school, I'll be just another in a sea of superpowered mutants."

"That's not true." Sam said, "It's like I told Tucker, your powers aren't all that you are."

"Thanks." He said, though he wasn't sure he believed it. Really at a school like Prometheus what was there to make him any different from everyone else? He pushed that aside and picked up his luggage. It struck him as rather stupid that he was getting all upset about not being different, when that used to have a tendency to make his life miserable. His parents pitched in with loading up the car, he noticed Jazz slipping Bearbert in her luggage. He just looked away and smiled to himself.

Valerie took a deep breath as she stood outside the gate… "Now." Dani went intangible, overlaying herself into Valerie. The two consciousnesses were aware of each other for a moment, before Valerie's faded into a semi-lucid state of unconsciousness. She headed into the building, picking up her tickets and opting to go through the pat-down for fear of ectoplasmic energy not playing well with the X-rays. Several minutes later, she headed down to the waiting area of the terminal for the flight... to be greeted by familiar faces.

Danny's parents had left he, Jazz and Sam go with many hugs first. They met up with Tucker in the airport and started toward the terminal. As he got close he was greeted by the sight of….Valerie? They had only talked a few times during the summer.

"Val?" he asked. "Hey!"

She smiled, giving a wave, "Hey, Danny. Fancy seeing you here." The smile was a tad more... open than usual.

"Yeah just what i was wondering" he said.

"what are you doing on a flight to London?"

"Well," she said, "Know how well I got with the armor? Turns out, that was... a superpower. I'm something they call a 'psi', and so was my mother... I'm heading to a school there for them."

"Is it called Prometheus Institute?" Danny asked.

She nodded, "Right."

"Wow...what a weird coincidence" Sam said.

"Yeah... All three of you, too... Heh."

"I have a power just like yours" Tucker said. He added silently to Sam "and what are the odds everyone involved with ghosts would end up with powers"

Sam shrugged.

Valerie chuckled, "Well, I hope you told your parents, Danny... I mean, the city's going to be a bit more exciting with us both gone."

Everyone in the group stopped and stared at what she had just said-and implied. Danny gaped at her, confused. He tried to search his memory for anything he might have done that would have revealed it to Valerie-and wondered why she was being so cool about it.

"Val...how do you know about that?"

She seemed surprised at their disbelief... "What? I mean, we work together, don't we?"

At that, she seemed to zone out for a moment.

"Uhm..." was Danny's intellegent response.

She seemed to shiver for several moments before coming to awareness again.

"...What was she talking about?" Valerie said, her face serious and just a bit disturbed. Okay this was the Valerie he remembered.

"uh...this is ...not good" Danny said. The intercom announced that the flight to London was boarding. "You know what how about we talk about this when we're on the plane"

She nodded, following... Dani took advantage to dart into Jazz's head, apologizing quietly to her as she assumed the position of conscious mind of her body. Jazz only felt a cold presence briefly before going into a semiconscious state. If she had stayed in Valerie's body any longer while she tried to process what she heard, Dani would have been ejected out and all their planning would be for nothing. The young ghost tried to keep herself together, knowing she had screwed up big time. It had just seemed so obvious though, that she knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I've just remembered why I had reservations about getting an internet connection. It's downright distracting especially for someone with an attention span as short as mine (hopefully I'll be getting help with that). I also got a job this summer so, long weekend hours. It's a fair trade off for money.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, though honestly it feels a bit mediocre to me. *shrug* I'm anxious to be getting to the good part of the story. I hope you guys are too. My deviantart account: Jaybie Jarrett has some art relating to the story and there will be more soon.
> 
> See you next chapter,
> 
> JJ


	5. Takeoffs and Landings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the plane ride to England , Danny and Valerie have a long-needed talk ,while Jazz bonds with Danielle. When they arrive Sam meets some relatives of her birth parents.

Danny was quiet as he and his friends boarded the ship and the tension between he and Valerie was palpable. It almost made him a little nervous to be boarding a construct miles high in the air with her. There were witnesses this time, he told himself. "I'm sorry, cuz," Dani whispered, still borrowing Jazz's body "I didn't know."

"It's fine" he sighed as he took his seat. He couldn't blame Dani; she didn't know much or anything about the situation between him and Valerie. He found it a little odd Valerie hadn't said anything about Phantom to her, but after their past experiences, he highly doubted that Dani would do anything to hurt him. He took another deep breath and released it before talking to his ex about the subject he dreaded most. Valerie took a seat by Danny... "So, care to explain now?" she asked.

He nodded. "I...am Phantom," he whispered. "I'm half ghost like Dani; she was a clone of me." He could count on the fact that there were at least a dozen conversations going on at once to make sure nobody else heard. If anything people might assume he was talking about some comic character. Some time ago he got overheard talking about 'Phantom' to his friends when he thought no one was around. Luckily the eavesdropper was a big fan of The Phantom of the Opera and assumed he must be as well. While he was fortunate not to be found out, he wouldn't pretend it wasn't awkward listening to someone talk about Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction for ten minutes straight.

Valerie took a moment to reflect... It made sense. "...so that was why you were so nice to me," she said quietly, "after what happened with my dad..." Danny nodded. Finally she was getting it.

"Yeah...I'm not a bad guy, I just wanted to keep the town safe from ghosts attacking it. But fighting them tended to cause all sorts of damage. People saw two ghosts fighting and blamed both ghosts rather than one. A lot of people tend to not consider the idea that maybe ghosts have emotions and can be something other than evil"

"...and here I broke up with you because I thought my enemies were dangerous." She smiled bittersweetly... "...I... I'm sorry, Danny."

"It's fine, you couldn't have known." he said, "I could have said something, but I was...too afraid considering how much you hated Phantom." She was smiling, he thought. This was going better than he expected.

She took his hand, much to his surprise. "Maybe this can be a new start for us, then. No more secrets, no more lies."

"Yeah" Danny said. " I like this idea"

"...Danny," came a whisper, "...Have you told your sister about me? She seems... confused."

Danny looked up wincing a bit. "Uh...no actually." He had never thought to tell Jazz about Danielle-unsure how he would respond to Vlad making a clone of him. She already thought he was a real creep as it was,

She looked around, no one close... There were a lot of empty seats. "I'm going to come out now, alright?"

"Allright" Danny said. Dani phased, appearing in the seat next to Jazz.

Tucker and Sam had seen Dani before but were still processing everything-especially the part about clones. All Danny had said was that he was her cousin. It made Sam wonder why he hadn't said anything. She knew about Vlad and his ghost half. Still, a clone? The thought of how twisted Vlad was made her ill.

"Hi," Dani said shyly, "Sorry for hijacking you there."

Jazz nearly jumped and looked beside her to see a young girl who looked like a carbon copy of her brother at the age of twelve; except for , well, being a girl. It was a bit surreal to her to be honest. The girl seemed more than a little self-conscious.

"It's fine..." Jazz was stunned.

"Why were you overshadowing Val?" Danny asked.

"So I could get on the plane. We worked together on this... I mean, the only benevolent people who knew I existed were leaving the country. I..." she trailed off, "Well, I didn't want to stay. It was a vulnerable position, with Vlad still around..." Danny nodded and then he smiled.

"I understand"

She looked to Jazz again... "Nice to meet you properly, cousin."

Jazz chuckled... "Actually, we're closer to sisters. After all, genetically, your parents are still mine..." A thought occurred to her... "Wait, wait, wait... Danny, Valerie, you two let a twelve year old go off and fend for herself?" Danny looked up, cringing.

"uh..." he started.

"...I can't speak for before," Valerie said, "But she kind of ran off on us the second time..." Danny looked down at his shoes.

"Well I did kind of fly off quickly" Dani said "It's not his fault "

Jazz sighed, "Alright, but... When we get home, you're staying, alright? Vlad might have made you but... We'll take responsibility for you."

Dani nodded. It was still a bit foreign to her, having an adult look out for her. The people at the shelter she stayed at were nice but were swamped by a dozen other families with children and parents. Vlad, well he had never been much of a parent. She did what he told her to because well, he was in charge. Words like "I'm your father, you owe me respect. I created you" were thrown around Val looked out for her and Mr. Damon was friendly and occasionally asked how she was doing and if she was all right-because she was a friend of Valerie's. Now, someone was actually taking responsibility for her…for her sake.

"Thank you" she said.

Jazz smiled, putting an arm around the girl... "It's alright, little sis." It was strange to say, but it felt somehow natural. "...you know, I always wondered what it'd be like to have a sister..."

"Well I've never had a big sister"

Jazz ruffled the girl's hair. "You do now,"

She gave Dani a lopsided grin, before pecking her forehead... "When we go home, you'll have proper parents too." Dani looked up at her, hopeful but almost unable to believe it. She always assumed that being a clone meant that she wouldn't have anyone, that Danny's parents would probably be disturbed at the thought an old ex-friend cloned their child, or that she would threaten Danny's secret by even talking to them about it. Now she found herself daydreaming about the life she could have with a real family and a permanent place to call home.

Sam watched as Danny and Valerie interacted. In the past few months she had started to think about maybe talking to him about how she felt. The little moments they shared, it was becoming clear that he might feel the same way about her and she wouldn't just embarrass herself. She tried not to read his mind when she could help it, but a few times she had gotten glimpses. While she felt horrible about it afterward, she liked what she heard as of lately. She was so close.

And then Valerie just had to come back into his life. It just figured. This time since Valerie knew and accepted Danny's ghost half –something Sam never imagined someone like Valerie would- well she couldn't disapprove of it because Valerie might hurt him. She wanted to scream and to yell, and the selfish part of her started thinking about stepping in or breaking them up. 'Stop' she told herself. As much as she hated it, as much as she thought it was unfair, it was his choice. If she called himself her best friend she had no place and no right trying to sabotage his happiness for her own. She didn't want to wind up like Vlad who still pined after a taken woman, and stewed because he felt he was owed her love. So as much as she didn't like it, she would accept it.

"Uh hey you okay?" She heard Tucker ask.

"I'm fine" she snapped. He recoiled a bit and she sighed. It wasn't Tucker's fault. "Sorry…I'm…well I could be better. But I'll get over it." He looked unsure but nodded and turned back to his PDA. He still looked a little worried about her. But if Tuck had learned one thing while being friends with Sam, it was to give her space when she needed it.

As they flew miles over the Atlantic Ocean she looked around and noticed the other girls in their group, all of them seeming to get something from all this, but not her she had only lost. She had probably lost her relationship with her parents; it felt like she had lost a chance with Danny. She reminded herself that she still had a reason she was going through all this- to find where she came from. Everything worth getting required sacrifices-she just hoped it was worth it.

The flight took hours by the time it landed it was rather late and most of the teens were being woken by the sounds of the announcer calling for electronic devices to be put away. Tucker was hesitant because he was in the middle of posting something but upon insistence from Sam he agreed. Danny and Valerie were a bit awkward after waking to find they had been leaning on each other when they fell asleep. They sheepishly pulled apart. Meeting her eyes Danny remembered why it was he was attracted to her to begin with.

"Hey, uh Valerie" Dani poked over the seats, "people are getting off now. Should I –"

"Yeah" Valerie said. Dani ducked under the seat, disappearing and then in a moment Valerie's eyes flashed, signifying that Dani had overshadowed her. They had only met months ago, where Valerie had captured Dani to use as bait, and now Valerie was allowing Dani to overshadow her. The level of trust between the two was astounding to him-especially considering that the crux of his problems with Valerie in the past had been her distrust in all ghosts. He shrugged it off. Maybe there was something about Dani had changed her just a bit. He got his bags out of the over head compartment and started moving with the line. He caught sight of Sam looking like she was struggling to keep a straight face.

"Hey Sam you okay?" he asked. She looked up, and her eyes looked a little different perhaps a bit moist.

"Yeah, I'm fine Danny." She said.

"Are you sure, because-"

"Allergies "she said quickly. They kept moving along following the others in line. Noting the accents of some of the people around them it seemed like a few people might be have been on the flight home. It was a bit strange for all of the teenagers to process that they were now thousands away from the familiar comfort of Amity Park. They made their way out of the plane into the terminal. Danny could barely repress a chuckle as he noticed Dani taking in the sights of a place she had never been before. He scanned the terminal until he found a group of students in uniforms waving white, black and gold signs. With them was a man in a suit with fancy cufflinks, dressed like Vlad except more robust. They made their way to the group, along with some other teenagers from different terminals. A few were smoothing out the wrinkles in their uniforms.

As they got closer a girl in full uniform, dressed a bit like a secretary with a badge bearing the letter's PI and a word in small caps above it that looked like a misspelling of 'perfect'. She caught sight of them as well, with rather hawk-like eyes and immediately approached to greet them.

"Welcome! My name is Leandra Stryke and I'm one the twelfth year prefects of Prometheus Institute" she said. There was a spark of recognition in Sam's eyes and she gave the girl another look over.

"Did you say, Stryke?" She asked. Leandra looked taken aback.

"Yes." she said, "we're one of the older Psi families –not that it means anything. Everyone is equal here at Prometheus."She said the last bit hurriedly and the adult accompanying them was giving her a reproving look. Sam nodded slowly. Danny could tell that she doubted the girl's sincerity but seemed to be withholding judgment for now. It would probably take only a few more strikes for this girl to get on Sam's bad list. "You are Danny and Jazmine Monroe, right?"

"Fenton" Danny corrected on instinct.

"Well, you were registered under Monroe," The girl said. Her correcting sounded bossy a bit like Danny had perceived Jazz not too long ago. But unlike Jazz's well meaning bossiness Leandra was giving off an air of self-importance. She looked at her clipboard again, "aaand, Valerie Grey, Tucker Foley, and…no….." Everyone looked at her as she did a double take at the form. "Samantha?"

"Um Sam actually" Sam said.

"…Lea…are you all right?' One of the students asked. The formerly smug prefect was now looking at Sam in shocked recognition.

"You..er" she cleared her throat sheepishly, "I'm sorry you look familiar."

"Well, that's not surprising given that my birth parents' name was Stryke" Sam said. Leandra seemed noticeably warmer to her after that. Danny exchanged a look with Sam and she gave a shrug when the older girl wasn't looking. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. In all their talking Sam hadn't mentioned she was adopted.

"Well come along, new arrivals and returning students," the man said. Along the way they learned the he was the Director of the Board of admissions. Danny suspected that he had been bursting to mention that. As they were led out of the airport, stopping to get bags and for a bite to eat, Danny had a few curious girls asking him and Tucker about their accents. He tried to deflect attention while Tucker seemed to be eating it up. Valerie –or rather Danielle-giggled a little bit. He caught her eye and smirked and she hid her smile behind a smoothie cup.

"Danny" she groaned.

He just kept smiling and went along with the others.

"Brothers" she whispered quietly. Jazz scoffed in agreement and put an arm around her.

"We'll find a way to get him back" she whispered. If Danny heard anything he didn't show it. Leandra was busy chatting with Sam about the school and her experiences with public school.

"You poor thing. Don't worry." She said, patting Sam's hand with a look of deepest sympathy, "I'm sure you'll like it much better here." They made their way out of the airport to a bunch of sleek and shiny cars.

"Whoa" Danny said.

"Just got a few company cars for the arrival"Mr. Freethy said, "Prefects if you would, please escort younger students and new arrivals to the school."

"Of course! Samantha, girls, you'll be coming with me." Leandra said. Sam gave little more than a twitch at being called Samantha. 'Strike two' Danny thought. He and Tucker were ushered over to a quiet boy with short blonde hair. He seemed to be another Stryke relative.

Vlad Masters was also on a flight that evening. Though unlike the teenagers he didn't have any other passengers to shuffle through. The perks of being rich. He booked a private flight to London, Kagami wished to see him as soon as possible. He found himself wondering if he had been wrong and Kagami was actually another fangirl sort. She hadn't seemed like the type from what he read about her, she was said to be ambitious and downright merciless, and not a woman one would want to cross. So where was all this school-girlish teasing coming from? He supposed he would find out when he got there.

The flight was a pleasant one –he had a nice glass of fine red wine and enjoyed a few of his favorite old films. He always enjoyed some of the old 50's sci-fi classics. Back in college he and Jack would watch sci-fi marathons, when they weren't watching the packers play. His grip on glass tightened when he thought of his ex-friend. True the days of movie marathons had been the good old days before it all went bad. It was bittersweet looking back on it, and there was a small part of him that longed for that closeness again. But he would dismiss it. Those days were gone and it was Jack's fault. Every new deal, advancement in his career, was all empty because when he went home, he went home alone. No loving wife to welcome him home and children to greet him as he came in.

"Mr. Masters?" The flight attendant asked, approaching him, "we'll be landing soon."

"Thank you, madam" he said, folding up his tray. He only hoped that this meeting would prove as fruitful as he expected. Kagami had given him the address of her home in the village near London. He had already figured out the route to get there, before the flight. Ms. Toyaka seemed to be thinking of everything ahead of time, he'd give her that. When he walked off the plane he was greeted by dark skies and the outline of the city. He rented a nice car, because making a good impression was very important.

The house, while relatively close, was still a bit of a drive from London in a very expensive neighborhood. Ornamented hedges, lawns with great fountains, on them, it was a carnival of who could show off their affluence the most. Sure you had a few modest houses- well, as modest as a four story manor could be- but the most of them wanted to world to know they had money to blow. Though Vlad wasn't judging, no. Looking at his manor with self portraits aplenty, a whole hall devoted to the Green Bay Packers and a personal theater, well he wasn't in a position to judge.

Then came the Toyaka house – a bit separated from the others. The house had something about it that set it apart. He couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was the made the difference. Iron fence? Other houses had them. A dark ancient looking appearance and ivy crawling on the walls of the lower levels, other houses had that too. He approached the gate and rang the intercom buzzer on one side. If he had to guess he would say it was recently installed. The new technology jarred with the old appearance of the house-one would never guess that these people ran a cell-phone company.

"Vlad Masters requesting entrance."

"Just a moment" With a creak the gates were opened. Vlad returned to his car and drove in. As he got closer he spotter the gargoyle in the old fountain in front of their house. It probably wasn't necessarily needed to give the house a mystical sense but it didn't hurt. The doorman was tripping over himself in helping Vlad in; Kagami was certainly intent on making him feel important. But…why? He was a relatively new, young and self made billionaire, while these people were apparently generations of old money.

The interior of the house had a sort of class to it. Dark colors and silver were again utilized to a very nice effect. The floors, he noticed were marble and a spiral staircase was made highly visible in the middle of the house.

"Let me alert Madame Toyaka to your arrival." The doorman departed with a bow. Vlad didn't wait too long before he met a member of the household-a young man with some of his hair tied back in a ponytail a bit shorter than Vlad's own. He had a complexion that was something like light beige, darker than most Caucasians but just by a few shades, and judging by his eye shape he was of Asian descent –probably a Toyaka. His clothes were rather formal but not extravagant, white collared shirt, grey tie and dress slacks.

"Hello" Vlad started.

"What kind of hour is this to be calling?" the man said hoisting the strap of what seemed to be a laptop bag on his shoulder. Vlad was taken aback by the sudden onset of thinly veiled hostility and contempt he was being met with in contrast to the hospitality he had become used to here.

"I apologize, I just got here. Time difference I suppose," Vlad tried to appear light and conversational but there was something in his voice indicating that he didn't appreciate the younger man's tone. "I didn't introduce myself. I'm Vlad Masters head of Axiom-"

"I don't care who you are" the young man said, "or what you're the head or heir of. I see people all the time, head of this company, heir to that, all expecting me or Mother to make deals under the table without knowing what they're getting into. You're all the same. "

"Under the-young man I'll have you know my business with your family is completely legitimate." Vlad said, now betraying impatience. "It's business."

"Business or not, I'll give you one warning, don't trifle with my mother, Mr. Masters." With that the man left Vlad, full of righteous indignation but no one to take it out on. Well for the moment, within minutes the doorman returned.

"She has been- Mr. Masters, is everything all right?" he asked. He glanced out the window and sighed. "Ohhhh. I'm very sorry about that, that's the madam's son. He can be rather abrasive."

"You don't say.' Vlad muttered.

"A-again I apologize" the man said, motioning for Vlad to follow, down a hall passing the great spiral staircase. The walls had a few portraits on them, this family was very proud of their genealogy. Many portraits were bits and pieces of a family tree showing connections to other –possibly important people that he didn't recognize.

"This is quite an impressive house" he said, "so, the mistress of the household and her son, live here by themselves?"

"No sir, Ms. Toyaka's brother and his wife also live here with their two children." The doorman explained. "Their youngest brother comes to call occasionally." It wasn't hard for Vlad to imagine him cringing in distaste.

"He is troublesome, I take it?" Vlad asked. This seemed to make the doorman a tad nervous seemingly worried about speaking ill of his employers.

"He can be. A bit of a prodigal son. He tends to spend money carelessly and has a manner about him that can be grating" Vlad nodded in understanding. Through his business, he had often met the type, spoiled heirs who had been raised with a proverbial silver spoon in their mouth, and expected the world to be hand to them on a platter made of diamonds. He wouldn't deny that he'd never been petty, especially in his teenager years when he went through the phase of thinking he was more intelligent than everyone else, but these people just never grow out of it. He found it peculiar that there didn't seem to be many family portraits around the house. Just old portraits and bits of genealogy. There was on portrait a man in a uniformic outfit –and a very ornamented one at that-who shared a certain similarity to the young man he had just met. The similarity went beyond mere ethnicity and a few genetics-hes appeared as if he could be related as close as a grandfather or father. But the picture itself looked ancient. Curious. As he was led to the door at the end of the hall the doorman moved out of the way.

"Ms. Toyaka wishes to see you immediately." He said with a bow.


	6. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they've reached the school, Danny and his friends get a short tour from the student council, and learn some interesting things about the attitudes of the students and staff. While the girls are lucky enough to room together Danny and Tucker have to deal with a roommate-who doesn't know anything about Danny Phantom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. So I took a break from school, but my hours have been all over the place and parents are demanding. My family is moving this year. I know my mom said we wouldn’t stay long but geez, barely even two years! Our stay here was like a gas stop on the drive to Disney World. Then again ,it means more job opportunity so I can’t complain.

Sam found herself torn between wanting to give the girl a chance, being a relative and all and to dismiss her like Paulina and her ilk.  As her temper rose up a few times she pushed it back down.  It wouldn’t do to screw things up before she even arrived at the school after all.   As they got in the car Leandra ushered her in the front seat while Jazz and Valerie got into the back.  Sam gave them an apologetic smile.  Jazz mouthed ‘don’t worry about it’ in return.   

“So,” Leandra started, “Did you have a nice trip?”

“Yeah, it was an interesting experience” Jazz said.

“It was okay, I slept through most of it” Sam lied, shrugging.  She didn’t want to admit her relationship woes to someone she hardly knew, much less this girl.  She couldn’t help feeling like even if she made Leandra swear, her secrets wouldn’t stay secret very long.  She just listened as the girl chattered about how nice the sights were.

“Well I certainly hope that you won’t sleep through the lovely view of the school.” Leandra said, “It was made up quite nicely considering our budget”.  It was hard to repress a snort.  They had a budget?  Well they probably shouldn’t keep wasting money on needless trinkets on their invitations.    But she listened now that the subject had turned to the school. 

“-and the classes?” Jazz asked.  Leandra interrupted her before she could finish her next sentence, 

“Oh the classes are very good.  We have a selection of good teachers.  Though we still have some rather second rate ones. Like Toyaka.”  She gave an expression of distaste.  “If it were up to Father, all the Toyakas would be sacked, but the board just wants to please Kagami because of her connections.”  Danielle felt  something  ping way back, in Valerie’s memory. 

“Connections?”  she asked. 

“Yes, everyone knows that the Toyakas know some dodgy people.”  Leandra said, “The whole family’s crooked.”  Sam looked up.

“That’s kind of a harsh judgment don’t you think?” Sam said. Leandra rolled her eyes.

“Just take my word for it, dear.   It sounds harsh to one so new to it all, but in time you’ll learn there are some families that you are better off staying away from.  They’re crooks, but their money talks, and their head of family really knows how to sway the right people on the board.  Especially the men.”  Jazz and Valerie exchanged surprised glances at what the prefect had just insinuated.  “There will always be corruption amongst the people with money.” As she prattled on, Sam eyed her wondering if the Toyakas were the only ones guilty of corruption. 

It made her feel uneasy to think it, like a great weight on her stomach.  She had wanted to think that her biological family would be warm and friendly, everything she had always wished a family to be.  She decided to wait and hold out hope.  Maybe Leandra was just a bad example.

She went on to describe some of the classes how debate was her favorite class along with business.  Well, she was smarter than Paulina at any rate.  Leandra asked questions about America, naturally her only experiences with the country consisted of lavish trips to New York for Psi conventions.

“They have Psi conventions?”  Jazz asked.

“Of course in most civilized countries with a big enough population” she said.  “It’s where we hold our elections and do business, as well as simply speak to one another openly after so much time blending into mundane society.”

“Elections?  For what?” Sam asked.

“Board members. Representative leaders for the Traditionalists and the Modernists.  Politics.”  Leandra said, “Also we vote on the actions of the board, new policies for the school.  Things like that.”

“So direct democracy” Jazz said thoughtfully.

“Yes” Leandra said, “Exactly.  That’s always been how we worked. Although we used to not have a Modernist party.  I don’t see why we need one the old ways are fine enough.”

“Change is good sometimes.” Sam said.  Leandra gave her a momentary sharp glance.  Sam was a little shocked at the venom in it.  But she just blinked and looked back to the road with a false smile. 

“Anyway you’ll find everything you need here.”  She continued, “It’s a first rate educational experience. The staff is mostly very friendly and if you have any trouble you can go see guidance-educational, spiritual or what have you.”

“Spiritual?”  Sam asked.  She raised an eyebrow.  “This school is affiliated with a church?”

“Oh yes we have religious classes and services on campus for multiple religions.”  She said. “Why, did your parents take you to church?”

“To the temple” Sam corrected , “I’m Jewish.”  Leandra looked at her in shock. It might have been her imagination but she swore she saw a flicker of disapproval.  “Is that a problem?”

“No…of course not.” Leandra shook her head and gave a smile.    “Just a bit of a surprise.   Most of our family is strictly Traditionalist or Catholic.”

“Traditionalism is a religion?” Jazz asked, “I thought it was a political party.”

“It’s both.  It refers to our conservative party as well as a religious sect.”  Leandra said, “It was formed back during the inquisition we followed Christianity but many churches considered our gifts to be witchcraft. So we started our own churches.”    

“I see” Sam said.  They stayed silent for the most part, until they approached the school.  The three girl’s jaws dropped.  The school was walled with a gate operated by security guards.  Leandra drove up and handed a security guard her ID. The guard pointed to the students with her.

“They’re new students,” she said, “I’m a prefect, would I be sneaking people in?” Sam noticed the way she played the ‘innocent girl act’ with the security guard.  It made her a little ill.  This was her relative?  They moved along into the gates and the girls got their first glimpse of their new school.

“Are we going to high school or college?”  Was Valerie’s first comment.  Sam almost had to remind herself it was Dani occupying Valerie’s body-she could imagine Valerie saying the same thing somehow.  The school did look like a college campus, a little self contained village full of nothing but adult faculty members and teenaged students living away from their parents.  The majority of students seemed to be just arriving.

“This my dears, is boarding school.”  Leandra replied, “It’s probably going to be very different from the public school you suffered through back home.”    

“It wasn’t really that bad” Valerie –or Dani started.  She was getting a little annoyed at Leandra’s patronizing attitude.  It was one thing to be used to private boarding schools, but quite another to show pity for those who went to public schools. 

“Well once you’ve spent a month hear you’ll never want to go back to that silly mundane world.”    Leandra said.    In only a second her cheerful look faded and she seemed to focus on her steering wheel, from what Sam could see her expression was uncharacteristically serious.  “Let me give you a warning.  The people here do not favor the mundanes and their ways, so if you wish to be accepted, do not bring any of that mundane sympathy rubbish here.” 

She shot an uncharacteristically sharp look at Jazz and Valerie as if she expected them to be more likely to do so than Sam.  Sam couldn’t understand why Leandra seemed to act like Sam was somehow more likely to be like her just because she shared the family name.

“Um excuse you, first off why are you singling out my friends and not me.” She started.  Leandra looked at Sam with a look of confusion. 

“What are you talking about, Samantha.  I was just giving you a little bit of advice.  There’s no need to be touchy.”

“It’s _Sam_ ” Sam said, “and it certainly didn’t sound like, just a little bit of advice.  Second what do you mean by that mundane sympathy rubbish thing?” 

“You’ll see when you get to your history class.”  Leandra said, “Issues about mundanes, or non-Psi are rather controversial. You don’t want to start fights as soon as you get here, do you? Just trust me on this.”  It was silent the rest of the way as the girls processed Leandra’s warning.  Sam just looked out the window and ignored anything else Leandra had to say.   She had wanted to be wrong, to believe that underneath it all Leandra was a nice person.  But with that little hint of blatant bigotry Sam preferred not to find out anything else unpleasant about her new relative. 

*****

 

The boys had the opposite experience with Tristan.  Whereas Leandra was chatty, the male prefect hardly said anything without prompting from Danny and Tucker. He awkwardly answered a few questions they had. Danny noticed that the car he was driving didn’t seem to be in as good condition as some of the others. On the contrary it actually seemed as beat up and hand me down as you’d expect a regular teenager’s first car to be. 

Danny looked out the window at the others and then at the backing peeling off one of the chairs.  Was Tristan not as wealthy as other members?  Couldn’t be, he was related to one of the oldest families; surely they wouldn’t leave one of their own out to dry would they?  

“Sorry about the car.  It got handed down to me from my Dad, when Lea got the new one.  Father’s and their daughters eh?”  He seemed rather sheepish about it. Tucker and Danny exchanged looks. That was a bit of an understatement.  The difference between the two showed obvious favoritism.  But mentioning it would probably make him feel worse.   

“Lea…you mean the girl who practically ambushed Sam?”  Tucker asked.

“Yeah.  She’s my older sister, gets good marks and made prefect” Tristan said “She does a lot of extracurricular things for Student Council and volunteering in tutoring so I suppose you’ll see a lot of her.”  Danny almost winced in shared sympathy, memories of his early middle and high school years coming back.  He didn’t know much about Tristan but for this reason he could already indentify with him.  Growing up in Jazz’s shadow had never been easy.  When it’s you alone the things you accomplish seem pretty cool, but when you have a superstar big sister, it never seems to be enough and you always look like a slacker in comparison.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking did you guys meet Sam when you were little kids?” Danny asked.  Watching the rearview mirror wondering if he asked the wrong thing, he notices Tristan look away for a moment, with a puzzled thoughtful expression. 

“Erm  , well I’m sure I did but I don’t remember it terribly well”  He said, “At least not the specific meeting.  I do remember Lea becoming upset when one of our aunts and uncles just…left.  Just up and left the family and the entire community.  It was strange. Dad was furious about it.”   Danny and Tucker were silent in the face of this new possible information about Sam’s birth parents.  They made a silent agreement to tell Sam later.  

“Did they say anything about their kid; didn’t anyone realize their kid was gone?”  Danny asked. 

“Oh someone found out after, made it worse, they never said anything.”  Tristan said.  Danny sat back wondering about this. What would possess her parents to just give up their child and leave?  If they didn’t like something about the community they could just leave couldn’t they?  Why give up the child?  Maybe they had something to hide.  He knew this was Sam’s thing but he couldn’t fight down his curiosity.  He wanted to know why his friend’s parents gave her up. 

 He didn’t know whether it was a horrible thing but, if they hadn’t given up Sam he would have never met her.  Danny couldn’t articulate his feelings about that in a way that didn’t possibly sound horrible and selfish so he shoved it aside.

“So, uh, do you like the school. “  The usual situation was reversed; Tucker was changing the subject after Danny was treading on dangerous ground.

“It’s alright” Tristan shrugged, “what’s public school like?”  

“Uh…alright” Danny and Tucker said together.  A few years ago Danny would have called it a “hell factory” but he supposed he just got used to it.  The ride continued in mostly silence until they reached the gates.   From the outside it looked like fortress with security guards and all Tristan drove up to the gate and showed a guard a sort of ID card and they were let in.  it was quiet for the rest of the drive until they parked.  Danny and Tucker started to unbuckle their seat belts, when Tristan turned toward them

“Before you got, there’s one more thing.  Just a little tip, since you’re new and all, the people here can seem friendly, but don’t poke into things and whatever you do don’t make waves. Trust me when I say that this community can get very nasty when you start criticizing the way they commonly do things.” He said, “I don’t want you to turn out like Elliott Stryke.” Danny recognized his dead serious expression as one he had used himself when trying to warn those close to him to be careful when working with him.  Like the Pariah incident when he told Sam and Tucker to leave if anything went bad.   Without another word of explanation the prefect unbuckled his seat belt and started to get out. 

Tucker looked at Danny puzzled and he returned the look with a shrug.  But he filed the name away in his memory.  When he got the chance he decided he would look up the name.  Asking around would probably get him heavily biased answers.  He wanted to find out-for himself what exactly Elliott did.  Was he even alive?  The thought made Danny almost shudder.  It was not exactly the welcome he imagined, but a tip for surviving was always nice to have.   

 

****

They met the girls in front of a two story building, presumably the main office.  Danny noted that Sam was now keeping her distance from Leandra.  Tucker mouthed “strike three?”  

“I’ll tell you later” Sam whispered back, wrinkling her nose a bit.  The boys wondered what Leandra said or did that made such a negative impression on Sam.  They all turned to follow the small crowd of prefects into the main office.  It was a great spacious hall with many doors to smaller groups off personal offices , shining linoleum floors and decorated with plaques and chests showing off awards for the accomplishments of various after school groups. Football, cricket, hockey, volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, track and field, swimming, dance theatre and debate were spotted on some of the plaques and trophies.  

They noticed a picture of students from ages fourteen to seventeen in white uniforms each holding long swords.  Tucker jabbed Danny in the shoulder and pointed at another portrait.  A group of girls all in with gold and black skirts and long white leggings. The cheerleading team.  He was a bit surprised to see that Leandra wasn’t one of them. 

Jazz gave them both a warning to pay attention as the higher up teacher assistant started giving a speech.  Some more new students mostly either sixth graders or ninth graders had joined them.  They were probably the oldest new arrivals present.  Danny tried to hold his attention hoping that the speech would include some more useful information.  The history bits of how the school came to be were interesting.  Apparently they had been keeping this school running since the late 1700s.

The speech changed directions into a braggy spiel about high academic expectations and achievements and Danny found his attention wandering.  A few of the other new arrivals seemed bored or annoyed.  He recognized the eye rolling that shouted clearly “I know this already”.  One bored student started poking and whispering to the guy next to him.  His friend shushed him.

“Shut up, he’s talking you prat!”

“Everybody knows this stuff, mate.  Didn’t your parents teach you anything?”  Something about what he said pressed a button and the attentive student gave his ‘friend’ a sharp glare. If he had to guess Danny would say that the other student was raised in a non-Psi household.  “Whatever.   I didn’t come here to listen to a bloody history lesson. Enjoy your sermon”   The rude student looked away and took out his phone.  Danny turned his attention back to the TA giving the speech.  At least he was considerate of others when he didn’t pay attention.  Usually.  When he could help it.

Before his attention started waning again he found a teacher at his side.

“Mr. Monroe, please follow me.”  Danny followed annoyed and confused.  Why was he being pulled aside?  He wasn’t the one being disruptive.  They led him toward an office and into what looked like a conference room with several teachers presiding.  Not even in the door yet and he was already (unjustifiably) in trouble. As the door shut he started thinking of his defense while simultaneously bracing himself for being yelled at.

“I haven’t done anything” Danny started.

“We know, Daniel. “  An older, beaded man with what Danny thought was maybe an Irish accent…or Scottish, he couldn’t really tell the difference.  “Sit down”

Danny went over to the table and hesitantly did so looking at the assortment of staff he had before him.  A man in casual clothes and gelled hair.  Next to him was a woman with an orange and yellow scarf, a sweater and long fingers and a stern looking man with a small hooked nose and an almost military-like outfit. At the end of the table distanced from the other staff members was a man, possibly Asian, with dark hair tied back in a small ponytail wearing a formal shirt and tie tapping at a computer. 

“Hello Daniel and welcome to Prometheus Institute. I am Deputy Headmaster Abraham Stryke.”  It might have been something about the man but no matter what he was saying he sounded stern and gave off the impression that he was waiting for a reason to criticize someone.  “We have received word from Jasper Monroe about your special circumstances; we are required by policy to give you a screening exam.” 

“A screening test?” Danny asked, “Screening for what?”

“Empathy or telepathy” The answer came from the man on the far right tapping on the computer, before Abraham could speak.  At that moment Danny got a small peak at how intimidating the deputy headmaster could be as he leveled a warning glare at his younger employee.  “Nobody gave you permission to speak, Toyaka.”  He spoke the name with poisonous contempt, much like how Danny’s mother addressed Vlad during the Pariah Dark crisis.  Toyaka showed no such contempt but leveled his boss with a cool glance.

“He should at least know what he’s being screened for.”  He said.

“Dexter, please,” the female said, “Not now.”  At this Dexter Toyaka turned very quickly back to his computer.  Oddly he didn’t seem so intimidated by the obvious anger of his boss but the gentle plea of a coworker.  Strange.   Not to mention, it was hard to understand what they were all mad at him about.  Were they really so intent on screening Danny without telling him what they were screening him for? 

“We are screening you for, erm special difficulties, so we can know how to help you adjust.”  Deputy Headmaster Stryke explained.  ‘ _More like know what to do with you_ ’ Danny thought.  He didn’t buy their sugar coated assurances for a second.  The words carried the air of someone going out of their way to sound “nice” so as not to offend someone they really carried obvious disdain for.  The patronizement was more insulting than the “offense” they were going out of their way to avoid. One of the teachers handed him a packet assuring him to answer honestly and that there were no wrong answers. 

Danny was prepared to be nervous about the test, but he found he could pick out some of the red flag questions right away.  It was kind of like those personality tests he took when applying for job, they were trying to be sneaky but were ranging from doing all right to horribly failing.  Just when they started to seem like they might be succeeding they threw in a question that practically screamed, “I swear we’re not talking about telepathy or anything! “ When he was done he pushed it away. 

“I’m done.”  Danny said.

“You mean you’re finished” The woman corrected taking his test. 

“Uh…sure.”  She took his test and handed it over to the Abraham Stryke. Danny watched feeling awkward, as the deputy headmaster looked through the answers.    It was very quiet and extremely uncomfortable especially as many of the other teachers got up to have a look while Headmaster Stryke looked through the exams.  The only one who didn’t seem interested was Dexter Toyaka. 

“But  even pathies get their power by eleven” one of the teachers said.

“Some-“

“Most, Deanne”  He noticed a few of them studying him, and for a moment even though he hardly knew these people and had been made fun of before , he found that he was bothered by the way the teachers looked at him almost as if he was tainted.   Dexter rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Hey, uh my parents study ghosts and ectoplasm” Danny said, “uh Mr. Monroe said that had something to do with it.”   They all looked up. 

“Ectoplasm”

“They . Study. Ghosts?”  The Deputy Headmaster gave him a deadpan expression that could rival Sam’s “Daniel, I am not a man to be trifled with and I am certainly not a man who tolerates lies.” 

“I’m serious!” Danny said, “There’s some fancy name for it…-“

“Parapsychology,” Dexter said.  

“Mr. Toyaka, my patience is wearing thin.”  Abraham said. 

“Well pardon me for wearing it just a little more, but that test is hardly an accurate indicator of _actual_ empathic or telepathic ability.  To put it in perspective, my mad, obviously telepathic cousin was able to outwit it easily and convinced some doctors that he wasn’t really a telepath. “  

“If you continue to undermine me I will have you suspended!” Abraham said raising his voice. “There is nothing wrong with the exam.  Mr. Fenton-I-I mean Mr. Mon- oh just leave!”  Danny took the moment that he was chewing out the other teacher to leave.  He got out as fast as he could and made his way through the maze of offices trying to remember the way back. 

That one teacher, he had to admit he admired his courage standing up to the Deputy Headmaster but he also wondered how he still had a job.  Also what was it with the Headmaster snapping at Toyaka for every little thing?  Either that guy had a really short fuse or there was something up with them.  That was two things he needed to look into, if things kept going this way he would be hitting the books like Jazz. 

When he got back he found the hall empty and a crowd of students just turning a corner down a hall.  He started sprinting to keep up, calling after them.  “Hey, hey wait up” He caught up to the tail end of the crowd, ignoring some of the muttering other students made about ‘loud yanks’.  Sam and Valerie waved for him and he pushed himself just enough to catch up. 

“What was that about?” Jazz asked, “You’re not in trouble already are you?  You didn’t do anything!”

“No, it was…well weird...” Danny lowered his voice, “some screening exam for telepathy and empathy”

“ _What_?”Sam demanded.  “Why?”

“Because my Psi power came late.”  He kept his voice very low, still remembering the way the teachers looked at him that moment.  It was something he dealt with constantly when he was public enemy number one from everyone around him and it was thing he used to fear, in nightmares, seeing on his parents’ faces.  He knew that even a rumor about him being a pathy could spell trouble for him. 

“They don’t even give you choice?” Sam asked. 

“Shh chill out”  Danny said, “From what I heard the test is so useless a certified lunatic can outwit it if he wanted to.”  Sam‘s incoming angry rant was stopped short.

“…a certified lunatic?  Who here knows any certified lunatics?” she asked.

“Some teacher named Toyaka.”  He said, “Might be a good idea to pay attention in that class.”   Sam rolled her eyes.

“Just when I think your sense of humor is getting better…” she muttered. 

“OI!” one of the prefects, who had been walking along with the TA yelled, “enough chattering.”  The older students led them farther down the hall.

“What have you guys learned?” Danny asked.

“Well starting to see where mundane distrust comes in.  Their discussion about the roots of the school made a few people uncomfortable” Valerie said.  She nodded toward a tall twelfth grade student with short reddish hair. “See that guy over there?  His name’s Lawrence and he seems quiet but he can be very strongly worded about his opinions and doesn’t seem to care who doesn’t like it.” Danny made note of the student silently grateful that he wasn’t there to listen to it.  At the same time he was curious-just how bad was it? 

He could ask later.

“Anything else?”  Danny asked. 

“Well there’s a club for just about every sport or after school activity you can imagine.”  Jazz said. 

“Yeah well I’m a bit booked-“Danny looked around and lowered his voice, “being the only member of the ghost fighting club”

“You sure about that?” Tucker asked, “There might be-“

“Tuck” Danny glared at him.

“Just kidding man” They followed to a far corner of the building which housed a store decked out in school colors.  Some of the younger students started talking and whispering excitedly.

“This is the school store, where many of our supplies and uniforms are sold.  Most of the items you would need are here.”  The TA started, “If you should find something missing talk to one of the shopkeepers and they will order it for you, for an extra fee.”Next to him one of the prefects went in and came out with a stack of thin looking spiral-binded books. He nodded at her and she started handing them out.

“These are your student handbooks.”  The TA said, “It is your responsibility to know the rules inside and out.  Ignorance will not be an excuse.” As soon as he received his book, Danny started flipping through idly.  Jazz went through it like she was studying for a test.  He sighed, certain that the student leader didn’t mean right that moment.

The students behind them started jostling the forward and Jazz sighed in  annoyance and started moving with the group.  “We’ll be stopping here temporarily for students to get their uniforms, this is not a shopping tri-“The students ignored him and bolted into the store. 

“Like kids at the gift shop.”  Sam remarked.  They went in last, in a little cluster. The shop had small flags and banners adorned with the school colors and name.  On a shelf on the far wall there were shelves with shirts, skirts and slacks for uniforms.  Danny picked up a few more clothes in his uniform, not bothering to spend too much time on clothes shopping, while Tucker admired USB drives and programs.  Danny looked around when he got all his clothes trying to find Jazz.  He knew she had a list of supplies and the money card they were given for school purchases.  Their parents had given them money to spend on personal things and promised more to come if they got good grades.

As he was looking around he noticed an odd sight, items falling off the shelves and suddenly disappearing.  He wondered why his ghost sense didn’t go off.  Just before he could do anything a rather strong looking prefect came over and grabbed at the air.  From nowhere there was a cry of “ouch! Geroff me!”  Where there had once been nothing was one of the new students, the one who had been previously ignoring the Prefects’ ‘sermon’. 

“I was going to pay for it!”  he said. 

“Sure that’s why ye blinked outta sigh’ wasn’ it!” the prefect said, “Shut yer trap and come with me” He dragged the student off grumbling about sneaking weasels.  “I know ye are but what am I?”  Lawrence took the moment as a teaching opportunity.

“As you can see, we have a no tolerance policy for troublemakers.  You are in a building full of people with Psi abilities who have seen every trick, you will get caught.”

Students went out of their way not to annoy the prefects after that, well except for Sam.  Danny had just handed off his clothes to Jazz when he heard Leandra criticizing Sam.  “You’re joking right?” 

“No, I think this will work” Sam said. Leandra looked as if she was going to be physically ill for a moment.

“I don’t know what the rules are at your school but-“

“It’s not against the rules here.  I read up on your school from the PDF on the website, Dress code says you can dress in any combination of the colors white, gold or black.”Sam said. Leandra heaved an annoyed sigh.

“But it’s all black” she said.

“No it’s not, some parts of the vest are grey, the tie has yellow on it and the socks are white.”  Sam clearly had the upper hand. 

“Well….still it may not be against the rules but you’ll still be embarrassing yourself, and by extension embarrassing us.” Leandra said.  At that Danny wanted to look away expecting a blowup from Sam.  But it never came, if anything Sam looked mildly irritated.

“I’m not embarrassed at all.”  She shrugged, “why are you?” 

“Because, it’s not….normal to walk around dressed like you’re in mourning and it reflects badly on us” Leandra looked exasperated. 

“Well if it bothers you so much I’ll just say I was raised by other people. Do you micro-manage the way everyone in your family dresses?”  Sam went over to the checkout counter and handed the clerk her card. 

“I’m just trying to look out for your own good” Leandra said. 

“I’m _fine_.”  The look Sam gave her before walking off could have frozen fire.  Tucker whistled and whispered to Danny. “Strike three.”  Everyone bought their things and moved along with the tour.  They didn’t bother touring the upper level and went out the door to the rest of the campus. 

Street lanterns lit up the paths where students were coming in small groupings chatting with one another and carrying luggage.  A few of them glanced the way of the group of new students. The prefect with the accent returned oddly cheerful all of the sudden.

“Things er taken care of” he said, “Looks like the early birds er arrivin’ now.” 

“It seems that way. “ Lawrence nodded.  He turned to the new students. “Now we will split up into two groups.  The ladies will go with Ms. Stryke and the fellows will go with me.  Is that clear?” Everyone nodded a few students looked nervous of him and Danny wondered what exactly he said earlier.  The large cluster of new students split into two making the image of a wide two-pronged pitchfork to any ghost that may have been flying overhead. 

Danny watched and gave a little wave as the Jazz, Valerie and Sam parted ways, following Leandra.  Soon after Lawrence began to move forward as well.  The boys went down the path while the girls cut across the yard horizontally and trickled away in between two building. 

He felt himself being nudged. 

“Oi, is that ginger bird your girlfriend or something?”   

“ _Dude_ , that’s his sister” Tucker saved him from speaking which was fortunate because Danny shuddered at the thought. 

“Oh….”  The student who spoke blushed and quickly averted his gaze.  They didn’t have to travel that much farther because the boy’s dormitory was practically right smack in front of them. 

“This is where you will be living “Lawrence said as they approached it.  “Right now we need to get you all signed in.  Tomorrow you will need to get your student IDs, but for now I will be the one letting you in.  I would strongly suggest you not go out tonight without a student who has an ID to go with you. “

“Who ye can trust not to ditch ye” the other prefect added quietly. Lawrence shot him a sharp look. The prefects led them into the building, and Danny noticed that Tristan was no longer with them.  Maybe he wasn’t that high up of a prefect.

****

            The girls returned Danny’s wave and then made their way.  Valerie looked back for a moment watching Danny move out of sight.  She noticed Sam did as well but avoided meeting her gaze.  Valerie-no Danielle didn’t just know that Sam was still sore about Valerie and Danny getting back together- she could feel it herself.  She decided to give her space for now.  No need to aggravate a delicate situation.

She kept on following Leandra.  Honestly from what she had seen she didn’t like the girl much.   Very self absorbed and self righteous in most of what she said, it seemed.  She couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable it was for Sam with Leandra pushing herself at her.  They made the way between two more buildings which Leandra said were the English and Psychology buildings. 

“You have a _whole building_ for Psychology and Sociology?” Jazz asked

“And Philosophy” Leandra said.   Soon after the crows stopped quite suddenly and  Danielle bumped into a girl in front of her.

“Hey watch it!”

“Sorry!”  Danielle said  

“This is the female dormitories. “ Leandra said, “as you can see it is far separated from the boy’s dormitories and for obvious reasons.  You need a student ID to come in and out so I suggest you not go out and do something wild.  We have people getting your bags.  They will be in a space in the storage room and you can pick them up there.”

“What if someone tries to steal our stuff?” one girl asked.

“Oh that shouldn’t happen, our volunteers are guarding them, so the only person who take them is the person who they belong to.  I certainly hope you have tags on your belongings, that makes it easier to identify them.”  Leandra said. “Now, moving on, we have three girls to a room. Since we’re here ahead of the underachieving masses you have a quite good pick of rooms outside of the reserved rooms.  If you have a group in mind you may all sign in together, but if you have no preference you can just pick any room.  Yes?”  She gave an audibly annoyed sigh as another girl raised her hand.

“What if we don’t get along with our roommate?”

“Then you can speak with a counselor or staff member and we will discuss what to do.  But please try to make peace.”  Leandra replied.  Danielle felt a wave of relief.  There were three of them which meant they could all get a room and their secret would be safe.  It was perfect.  Leandra led them into the building.  The first floor looked like the lobby of a hotel.  There was a desk in the front that had either a staff member or a much older student in charge.  Behind the desk was a room with a sign reading “Luggage” on the door and another student ‘guarding’ it. 

“Everyone sign in and then pick your bags.”  The taller young woman said.  It wasn’t long until they got a chance since Jazz had been near the front.  Sam, went after and then it was Danielle’s turn.  It took a few seconds before she realized she was writing the wrong name.  Once she realized she quickly and furiously erased and then wrote Valerie’s name.  Crisis averted. 

The room chosen for them was on the second floor, not too bad.  Even better that the dorm hall had an elevator.  The trio claimed their bags and headed up to their room. Sam was glad to finally be free of Leandra who remained directing the other students and taking care of bag mix-ups. 

 ****

            The huge cluster of boys was led into the dorm hall lobby.  They seemed to have gone out of their way to give it the feel of a hotel.  Nice carpeting, arm chairs in the lobbyspace, and a doorway into another lounging room.  Lawrence explained the process for checking in and not many people seemed to want to ask any questions. Danny looked around at the crowd and the students coming in.  He wondered, what would the groupings and cliques be like here?  There were more sports teams, which ones would be the jocks, and who would be the ‘uncool’ groups.  Where would he and Tucker fit into the pecking order?  Would being Americans help or hinder them?  He heard a few vaguely American accents amongst some of the people coming in, as well as those at the gift shops.   

            “Wait…. _three_ to a room?” Tucker whispered bringing him back to Earth.  They were in the back of the crowd but everyone was silent enough that someone heard him.

            “That’s right, got a problem?” a large older prefect asked.

            “No we don’t” Danny said.  This was going to be an issue, and they couldn’t request a two person room without giving a reason.  It seemed as if they were back to being secretive and sneaky this year.  Their plan to stay at the back of the crowd worked against them since it mean they were among the last to get picks of their room.  But it made little difference to Danny, either way they would still have to deal with a third person.   

When Danny came up he looked over the list.  More than a few rooms were reserved and some of the prospects only had one empty space. He was hoping luck would work in their favor and leave a perfect room but it wasn’t so.   Some of the people around started getting impatient, so he went for the first two empty spaces he found already occupied by one student and then went to claim his bags.  It wasn’t difficult, no other set of baggage outside his and Tuckers had a Fenton Logo tag on it (he had given Tucker a few of the FenTags to make it easier to find their stuff.).   Tucker met him as he got his bags.   

“How are we going to deal with the other guy?” Tucker asked.

“We’ll figure it out, Team Phantom’s dealt with worse.”  Danny said.  The both of them followed the crowds to the elevator, holding two bags each plus a backpack.  As they made it to the next floor a prefect standing near them took notice.

“Please try to avoid fighting with your roommate” he said, “I know some of the people in his family can be quarrelsome, but it would be nice if you tried to get along.”  He realized that he hadn’t taken too much notice to who he signed his name next to, having been rushed into making a choice. 

“Hey, I never pick fights with people for no reason. “ Danny said, “I’ll protect my friends if I have to but I’d prefer to keep to my own business.”

“Good.  If you have trouble, please report to a counselor.”  The prefect said.  The elevator hit the third floor and let them off with a melodic sound and the older student led them to their room.  On the door was a laminated sign with the room number and the words “[R] Toyaka, Toshiro Jr.”   The prefect knocked and then opened it.

A dark haired teenager with glasses was sitting on the bed looking at the computer.  From his clothes, Danny could guess that he, like the Stryke siblings, was wealthy and seemed to be someone who took good care of his appearance.  Other than that it was hard to say.  Tristan had been all right, after all.   The teenager looked up. 

“…eh?”  he looked over Danny and Tucker.  “New students.  I take it he left it to the last minute _again_ “ Sounds like their roomie was expecting someone else.

“Doesn’t matter.  The day you two room together will be a cold day in hell” The prefect said dismissively. Wow, that was harsh. “Behave yourself.”

“Cheery as always, aren’t you.” Toshiro rolled his eyes, “and technically according to Dante, hell is cold if you get deep enou-“The door shut behind them. “Oh he’s gone.   Tosser.” The computer was slammed shut. “Well, what are you waiting for, gentlemen, make yourselves at home, I suppose.”

This would be an interesting year. 


	7. Roomies and Rivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The members of Team Phantom move in and meet their roommates, the girls get a room all to themselves, while Tucker and Danny wind up sharing with another student. Danny and Valerie's redeveloping relationship is causing friction between Valerie and Sam, which puts Danny in the middle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Greetings my readers. I wish to thank you all for the support. Now here’s a bit of bad news. I have to put Jigsaw and Human on hiatus for now because I have terrible writer’s block on those stories, everything I write just doesn’t look right.
> 
> So I know I said that the next chapter would include Danny and Val’s date but this chapter has gotten so long I had to cut it in half. So the date will be coming soon, because I shall be posting the next chapter soon after. Fifty pages is a bit long for a single chapter. 
> 
> Also I’ve started a personal original project recently that I hope some of you will enjoy. ( http : // alikeindignity . smackjeeves . com / ) It’s a comic that I’m in the middle (and redoing some of the beginning pages gradually) based on the world of this story. My art in the old ones isn’t the greatest and my skills are developing but I hope the story is enough to make up for it.

 

The room in which they would be living was spacey enough; it had a bathroom area, a separate room with a bed and a main room with a bed and a couch, with a desk in one corner.  That gave them three potential places to sleep.  It looked like one bed in the main room was already taken.  Danny preferred to be in the separate room if he could help it, but he felt a bit guilty asking Tucker to take the couch. 

“The couch folds out, you know.” Toshiro said. He got up and reached down into the seat of the couch, pulling with a flourish.  “Voila” 

“Nice!” Tucker exclaimed, “Hey Danny, you want this one?”

“Nah, I think I’ll take the bed in the other room.  I need my space for doing schoolwork.” He said.  He caught Tucker’s eye and watched as realization dawned on his friend. 

“Ohh right.  I gotcha” he said.  Toshiro looked between them for a moment, appearing rather awkward. 

“You two have known each other for a while I take it.”  He said. 

“Since kindergarten.”  Tucker replied, “So uh , Toshiro…” The boy grimaced.

“Please don’t.  One Toshiro Toyaka in the world is _more_ than enough. It’s Shiro.”  He said.  Danny raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything about it.  He figured it wasn’t a good topic to start things off with, especially if their roommate didn’t seem to want to talk about it. He suspected “Shiro” had some father issues.   “Or if you really want you can call me Blade like the boys on the fencing team.”

“That sounds awesome.  How’d you get a nickname like that?” Tucker asked. 

“Fencing team.”  Shiro said with a smirk, “Won them a couple matches. So, can I get your names, or do I have to look you up on the registry?”

“Yeah….no. That’s creepy” Danny said.

“Most people say that.” Shiro raised an eyebrow and leaned back on his bed.

“Danny Fenton and that’s Tucker.”  Danny said, “We came here from Indiana, in the United States.”

“Ah, the States.  I’ve been there at least once or twice when I was young.  They sometimes hold Psi conventions in New York.  Nice place.”  Shiro said, “This your first time in England, yeah?”

“Uh yeah.” Danny said.

“How much experience do you have with Psi, then?”  Shiro returned to his place on the bed, stretching out. 

“My cousin-uncle Jasper” Danny said, making finger quotes at the ’cousin uncle’. He noticed Shiro smirk and nod.

“Ahhh, head of household, eh?”  He asked, “I take it you’re new to the whole Psi ‘old-family’ dynamics.   Heads of households and all that.” 

“Yeah, Uncle Jasper said he was going to tell us why we were supposed to call him uncle, but there was a big fight with him and my parents and he never got around to it.”  Shiro whistled.

“Your parents have got guts I’ll tell you that.” He said, “But to answer your question, it’s because of tradition, and in that case ‘uncle’ or ‘father’ is expected out of respect.  If you don’t have a dad and you’re a close relative you’re actually expected to call the head of household “father’.  How distant are you just out of curiosity?” Danny and Tucker exchanged looks.

“Fourth or maybe sixth I think.”  Danny said.  

“Ah yes, you’re still within range by Psi standards” Shiro said, “Not quite cozy but close enough. So, new to the whole scene then…boy are you in for a bumpy ride.”  It might have been his imagination but Danny detected some bitterness in the other boy’s voice.  

“My parents said they left because the Psi were becoming corrupt” Tucker said, taking a seat on the couch.  Shiro scoffed at that. 

“-were becoming?  Where have they _been_ for the last two centuries, high society was _always_ corrupt.  The big families were as screwed up as any royal family, enough to make a family of inbred hicks look like fine upstanding people.”  

“Wow, so, no love for your community” Danny said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Sorry, no.  Fresh out.” Shiro seemed quite proud of it too.  Danny and Tucker began to unpack, with their roommate occasionally making a remark or reminding them to watch their things and not block the doorways.  Danny set up his room so that it would be easy for him to fly out the window. He was happy to find a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign in the desk.  Hopefully this would keep Shiro from finding out his secret. He set it nearby so he could use it when he needed it. He came out to find Shiro and Tucker in conversation.

“-Yeah.  See we’re close to the head of household, my sister and I.  So we’re living in the same house.  My other uncle only lives there part time, so it’s two families there” Shiro was explaining. 

“Whoa.  Must be crowded.” 

“Not really.  Aunt Kagami’s husband left years ago before I was born.  It’s just her and Dex and a little stepkid-or whatever.”   Shiro shrugged.  “It’s a big place and we all keep to our parts of the house.”

“You live with Dex?”  Danny asked.

“Yeah, he’s my first cousin, in terms of our _special_ family dynamics he’s like my older brother” Shiro said, “wasn’t thrilled to find out he became a teacher.” 

“What kind of teacher is he?”  Tucker asked.

“The sort who tosses you in the water to teach you to swim.”  Shiro said, “He originally started teaching me fencing, and a bit of martial arts when I was young.  I was rather good at fencing and decent enough at martial arts, though Dex didn’t think so but Dex is unpleasable.”  He cleared his throat, “but I’m a bit biased.”

“I noticed.” Danny muttered.  “Any other teacher’s to watch out for?”

“Abraham fucking Stryke” Shiro spat out the word like poison. 

“Yeah ran into him.” Danny said, “Is he always like that?”

“Yes, rotten old man who’s mean as hell….and probably _old_ as hell too.” Shiro said, pulling a face. Danny looked at him curiously, wondering what kind of student he was.  Now Danny wasn’t going to pretend he was a good student but he liked to say he tried.  Shiro, he wasn’t sure but Shiro struck him as a mischievous but bright sort.  One who might not get good grades but had apparent brains, if he could cite classic literature offhand. 

Was he trustworthy though? That was a question that was important when living in close quarters. Because if Danny’s secret was found out, it was a good bet that he’d be the one to find out.  He would have to keep an eye on him, watching and waiting and hoping that the answer to his question was “yes”. 

“You’re looking at me a lot.”  Shiro said, “Are you checking me out and if so do you like what you see?” It took Danny a few moments to realize what he meant.

“Dude… _no_ ” Danny said.  “I… no I’m not-” To his shock Shiro was laughing.

“You’re easy.”  He said, snickers subsiding, “I was just _wondering_ , damn. You’ll _know_ when I’m really taking the piss out of you.   It doesn’t bother me if you did anyway.  I know someone who does go that way, and he’s a nice bloke, fun to talk to…”

“It’s not you know,  awkward?” Tucker asked. 

“He’s a cousin, so no.”    Shiro shrugged. He leaned back on his bed and flipped open the netbook again.  Tucker was making a lot of conversation with him clearly impressed while Danny set up his room and kept his distance.  “Met any of the Strykes?” There was a change in Shiro’s demeanor that Danny couldn’t quite put a finger on. Something about him seemed a bit hostile perhaps. It made him nervous.  He wanted to shake himself. He was _Danny Phantom,_ why was he nervous?

“A few at the airport” Danny said. 

“Full of themselves aren’t they?” 

“Uh some of them were….” Danny said, “But I mean the guy who drove us was okay….”

“Tristan…blonde, doesn’t say anything…Leandra’s brother? Yeah he’s all right I suppose.   Poor bloke having that cow for a sister.”Shiro said.  Danny raised an eyebrow at him.

“That’s pretty harsh, dude” Tucker said. 

“Yes it is, but they- some of them-  deserve it.  The longer you stay here the more you’ll learn.” Shiro sighed with irritation at their surprised looks “Come on, you saw how some of the traditionalist prefects talk to me here…. Who do you think is responsible for them looking at me like a piece of shit?  If they thought they could get away with it and didn’t want my aunt’s money, why they’d ban everyone with the name Toyaka from this school.”

Danny recalled the prefect’s harsh regard of Shiro, and the way he tried to ‘warn’ he and Tucker that Shiro would be trouble.  But so far the only things Danny could complain about was his questionable sense of humor.  Some of the prefects seemed to have more offensive personalities than Shiro.  He could sympathize with being unfairly judged, with how everyone seemed to hate Danny Phantom only a year ago. But he still felt his instincts telling him to keep an eye on the boy. 

“Ah ….yeah…in that case I can see a reason to be bitter.” Danny nodded.  “Especially with someone like your deputy headmaster.”

“He would actually like Dex, if Dex weren’t a Toyaka really”  Shiro said, “I mean he expects ‘proper moral standards’ out of his students and he knows how to make them wet themselves.  What more could you ask for in a teacher?” He shrugged, “But since Dex is a Toyaka _and_ son of the biggest pariah in our community, his name’s mud with Old Man Stryke” Danny blinked, remembering the things Tristan told him.

“The what?” Shiro looked up at him.

“Elliott Stryke Sr.   He was married to Aunt Kagami years ago-“

“But your families hate each other” Tucker said. 

“Yeah I don’t know either.  Aunt K really knows how to get what she wants, and he was always  meek when she met him, she always said.”  Shiro said “But he was scared shitless of her after they were married I don’t know _how_ they had a kid together, Finally years after his brother died…..and he left her… left the country before Kagami got the divorce papers.  He returned to his family and some people gave him grief for leaving…and he let them have it right back, guess he’d had enough shit from the Tradie hivemind.  He left the Psi community after that.”

Danny and Tucker exchanged looks. 

“Oh..and …ah...he died….last...er…last spring.  After that people made it no secret how they didn’t like him.  Was hard on his kid…” Danny winced.  “I dunno what happened but Elliott Jr. opened a can of worms and   a hell of a lot of talking when he accused the new head of house Rexford of being responsible for his Dad’s death.  Rex, by the way…is Leandra and Tristan’s dad” 

Tucker whistled. 

“Did he get expelled?” Danny asked.  

“Oh no. surprisingly but Rex must have something on him, he’s been quiet lately.”  Shiro said. “at least as quiet as _he_ can be.”

‘ _So that’s what happened_ ’ His imagination had been cooking up some crazy things, but this was somehow just as horrible as what he could have figured.  Shiro stretched and got up putting his netbook aside taking a glance at the clock.

“I think we’ve gossiped enough tonight.  I’m heading to bed, and that will leave you with two choices.  Be quiet or go to bed.”  He pulled something out of the blue chest at the end of his bed and pulled out some clothes before retiring to the bathroom. As he went to sleep that night the one phrase stuck in his head.

‘ _Rex must have something on him he’s been quiet lately’_

It sounded so disturbing to him. After an accusation like that, someone like Rex who from the clues Danny was picking up seemed a bit similar to Vlad (well more like a few clues and the general attitude of the Strykes)  , would have a strong motive to get the kid kicked out.  But somehow the kid was still at the school and not talking.

A kid went from being bold enough to make an accusation of murder to his head of household to keeping quiet and not saying anything. A kid who, according to what Shiro said of his character, is normally outspoken.  He might be tired and over-thinking this, or projecting his experiences, but by the clues he put together- Rex had to have something serious over this kid. 

When Danny really thought about it, he realized….it scared him

******

The girls made their way to their room, led by a new prefect who didn’t talk to them at all, except telling them to mind the dorm rules and keep the noise down after eight o’clock. Once she was gone and all of them were in Sam locked the door behind her.

“I think Valerie needs her body back” She said.  Valerie’s eyes changed from a glowing green to their regular shade and the young ghost girl popped into appearance right nearby. 

“This place is nice!”

“A little crowded with all four of us though.”  Jazz admitted, “But that’s to be expected.”

“It’s roomier than I thought it would be.” Valerie said. 

“It’s like being in a hotel!”  Dani explored the room, seeming rather like a child at Christmas.  The excitement of a new experience filled her with energy. As she looked around the other girls sat and talked about their first impressions of the school. 

“This place is unbelievable” Jazz said.   “Dozens of teams and afterschool programs and probably hundreds of classes.”

“Yeah….what makes me wonder is….how do they get all this money for a school and society that’s hidden from the world.” Sam said, “they have powers, they don’t seem to like mundanes very much….when you put it all together the answer doesn’t look pretty.” Valerie seemed to read her way of thinking and looked uncomfortable as well.

“Or it could be that they get funding as a school for the academically gifted” Jazz said. 

“Well still that’s not entirely honest” Sam said.

“They could just say gifted, so they’re technically not lying.”Valerie pointed out, “don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?” Sam shot her a venomous look for a moment.  She still hadn’t entirely forgiven Valerie for what happened with Danny.  She was only stopped when Jazz gave _her_ a look.

“Okay…yeah sorry. I’m just a little disappointed you know…” Sam said.  “I was looking forward to seeing what this society had to offer….but they’re just like my parents.” She got up and wandered to another room.  She didn’t feel like talking to people.  Maybe too much had happened that day.  Maybe she just needed some rest.

All she could think was- she left everything she knew …for _this_?

The other two and Danielle looked after her. 

“What was she expecting, some sort of  free minded veggie-gothic paradise?”  Valerie remarked. Jazz sighed and almost groaned to herself. She had a feeling that all of them together in one building wouldn’t peaceful.  She dreaded being the one pulled between both girls.  On the one hand she had known Sam since childhood.  She may have been Danny’s friend but she was still a regular in the Fenton household.  As of recently Jazz and Sam had only just gotten to get close.

On the other hand, Jazz  didn’t know Valerie _as_ well.  The girl wasn’t a stranger though.  Yes, Jazz had been in the popular crowd for some time. Though she drifted out after Paulina started to become disapproving of all the time she spent studying and didn’t like how Dash paid so much attention to her.  She drifted out before things could get ugly turning more of her attention to mentoring and tutoring.  She had encountered Valerie and at one point ran into her through tutoring.  She knew Valerie was brighter than some of the others.  She encouraged Valerie to think about her future after the Spectra incident. After her dad lost everything, Valerie stopped seeing Jazz.  When she tried to catch up with the girl, Valerie lashed out at _her_. 

It was an understatement to say that Jazz had felt hurt.  More like crushed.  It made her feel like her mentoring had only interfered.  After that she took on less and less students and eventually backed out of the mentor program, much to the disappointment of her teachers.  When Valerie and Danny dated the first time it had been awkward.  When they crossed paths, Jazz would always expect and dread some kind of confrontation. It never did come.  Now they seemed to be on friendly terms and she didn’t want to break it now.  She would be seeing a lot of Valerie between the dorm and Danny.

“I don’t know, I just think she’s under a bit of stress.  Things haven’t been good with her parents.  They didn’t take to the school thing very well.” Valerie looked instantly uncomfortable. Not angry…just….a bit embarrassed.

“Oh…” Valerie looked away and cleared her throat.  “So…you didn’t know about Dani?”

“No, I mean I tried to help him with ghost fighting but for a while he kept a lot of it to himself, I suppose partly because he was afraid and partly because…I guess he didn’t want to make things weird with the family and Plasmius.  If he outed Vlad you know Vlad would so something nasty right back.” Valerie nodded.

“Vlad’s a snake.  I don’t know why I believed him for so long.” She sighed. 

“I didn’t believe it until I saw it either.  Like, he flirted with Mom all throughout the college reunion and I didn’t realize he was that serious until all the proof was thrown in my face. “ Jazz shrugged.   “when I saw Danny’s files I was a bit shocked but it all made sense.  Then I saw” she shuddered, “the desktop background…and I realized what we were dealing with. It made every interaction with him a hundred times creepier.  But trying to clone Danny…..”

Valerie shuddered.  With sigh and a shake of her head she added , “You’d think I would have felt uncomfortable around him or something.”

“You didn’t?” Jazz raised an eyebrow. It was quite a testament to Vlad’s ability to manipulate.

“Well I mean when I first met him face to face and he gave me that ring during the Pariah crisis” she said, “But after that he was sorta like a boss.” Dani sat by one of the dressers and looked in the drawers.  She didn’t seem comfortable with the topic of conversation. Valerie noticed this.

“But anyway….so what do you make of this place?” she said. “Aside from what we’ve already gone over….” 

“Well there’s a lot of good programs here…as a place of academics it seems far more effective than Casper High.”

“I suppose…though it’s a bit early to make that judgment.” Valerie said, “We don’t know exactly how good the classes are. From what I read about it in my mom’s old stuff…she seemed to think it was a good school.  Though limited.”

“Limited?” Jazz asked.

“Well, according to what my mom wrote they were biased.  Probably because of the church affiliation and being a Psi school.  There were some points of view that they were unfriendly towards.   Apparently the best way to get by history is to go along with the history teacher’s opinion or independent study.”

“Yikes….” Jazz said.  “Well, for all we know there might be a different teacher.”

“I hope so” Valerie nodded.

“Did she enjoy it?” Jazz asked. Valerie shrugged.

“It was hard to tell…I read her notes and some of her journal.  My aunt told me a little about it.  From what I could tell, going to this school is tradition.  Their community is pretty …well…I guess insular is a good word for it.  Like ….she said mom described it as a kingdom with a wall around it.”  Jazz listened not saying anything. Maybe she was just a little surprised Valerie was opening up with something so personal.

 “Doesn’t seem like they’ve changed much.” Jazz said.

“What was your experience?” Valerie wondered curling a strand of hair around her finger. “with your…um…uncle…”

“He was the head of the family. I could tell he was used to people doing what he said and the fact that mom and dad didn’t follow his rules threw him for a loop.  It was basically a three day long power struggle between them.  Mom was the most assertive and Jasper didn’t think too much of her, because she was ‘mundane’.  He was pretty rude to her.” Valerie seemed to suddenly snap to attention.

“Jasper?” 

“Yes” Jazz said.

“Was his name Jasper Monroe?” The two girls’ eyes met in shock.

“Yeah….. how do you…-“ Valerie dropped the book she had absently pulled off the desk.

“He sent me a letter! “she said, “He sent me a letter about my mom telling me about the school she went to.”

“….are you sure it was-”

“He signed it Jasper F. Monroe” Valerie said.  Jazz sat back a bit dazed.

“Well…I guess it isn’t surprising that the old families know each other.”  She said.  “That’s a bit of a coincidence.”

“Somehow I don’t think it is…” Valerie said.  “He didn’t seem to like mundanes very much. “  She hesitated using the term.   “And I think he has some agenda…” She found her heart sinking.  Her first instinct had been right and now she was being used again.  It didn’t matter that it was the truth.  It was still being used to use her.  She told herself she was going to go find this Jasper when she got the chance.  She would not be used again.   The only question was whether she would tell Danny.  He deserved to know.  It was starting to dishearten her, how many Vlads there were in the world?  In her life she had already run into two, plus some flaky friends.  Just her luck.

Their conversation fizzled out and Valerie took one of the beds.  She could hear Jazz and Dani talking a bit before she dozed off for the night.   All she remembered was a pang of guilt for judging Sam. 

*****

It probably wasn’t much of a coincidence that both parties slept in late.  It had been late when they went to sleep.  Danny was trying to stay asleep, although he registered the noises in the background.  ‘ _Just a little bit more time’_ He thought ‘ _It’s not that late_ ’.  He flitted in and out of consciousness for a while, telling himself he still had some time for a little while.  But when he heard Tucker waking up he had to admit it was probably time to get up.

He reached out and grabbed the phone that vibrated on the nightstand. When he opened his eyes and looked at it he groaned.  It was nearly eleven and he missed texts from Jazz, Valerie and his parents.

Crud.

He pulled himself up and stretched. 

“’bout bloody time” a voice by the door way said.  Standing in his doorway in a bathrobe and half foggy glasses was their roommate, Shiro.

“How long have you been there?” Danny scrambled in the suitcase by his bed for a shirt. “Don’t open my door without permission.” The other boy gave him a dull look.

“Are you _serious_?  One would almost think you’re making meth in here or something with how secretive you are. Foley’s in the shower now, hope you don’t mind cold water.” He shut the door leaving Danny on his own.

He looked suspicious already.

Danny got his things and sent a text to his sister Valerie saying he was just waking up.  Then, when Tucker was finished he took the shower.  It was quick because he could already feel the water going lukewarm.  Just as it got chilly, he turned it off. He quickly got dressed inside the bathroom and then came out; dumping his used clothes in the laundry basket.

He had planned to meet up with Valerie today, maybe if they could get some time alone, plan to go out somewhere.  It was only Friday and they had a whole weekend before school started. He read the texts he missed during the shower.

“11 o’clock? Srsly Danny?” Sometimes Jazz sounded so much like their mother it was hard to remember she had Jack’s genes too.  

“Late night.”  He replied back.

“Hey…dude…you coming out?”  When he heard Tucker he put his phone aside.

“Oh…yeah….” Danny put his phone aside and wandered out.  Tucker was sitting on the couch on his PDA.  Shiro’s netbook was on the bed but he wasn’t anywhere in sight. “Where’s-“

“He’s in the bathroom“ Tucker said, “He was watching the door like a hawk for you to come out.” Shiro poked his head out prodding at Tucker with a comb which had some thick substance on it.

“I wasn’t that desperate.”

“Is that hairgel?” Tucker pointed to the comb. “That’s what you were ragging on Danny to hurry up for?” He laughed. Shiro shot him an impatient look.

“Some of us have needs” Shiro scoffed.  “And we can’t have someone hogging up the toilet either way.”  With a roll of his eyes he went back in the bathroom. Tucker and Danny exchanged smirks.  Danny went back to checking his texts.  Tucker chuckled to himself-until something on his screen made him jerk back from his computer. 

“Spider on your screen?” Danny asked.

“No….Sam buzzed me in Messenger.” He shook himself a bit before replying. “Man.   Note to self, _don’t_ ignore Sam.”

“Ten years of being her friend and you didn’t already know that?” Danny chuckled to himself. He got a message from Sam as well.

“ _Hey, now that you two are up, we need to get our IDs.  Jazz says students have already started heading out to get them.”_   That was right.  He had almost forgotten.  He texted back.

“ _Yeah….we should meet up together. Maybe in the big courtyard?”_ Sam’s reply came back quickly.

“ _Sounds good.  Maybe we can go out for lunch afterward?”_

“ _K_ ” He looked up when he heard their roommate’s voice again.

“You two will be going out to get your IDs, right?”  he returned from the bathroom, his hair a bit more in place than it was looking earlier. “Because you know there’s not always going to be a door man out….and we need to close the doors at night.  Keep a certain lunatic out.”

“Yeah we were going to meet up with some friends” Danny said. “and…lunatic?” 

“Yeah . Rayne Lennox”  Shiro said , “or as most of us know her, Cuckoo Bird. She’s supposedly a modernist activist, but even most of the other girls in her club think she’s a little off.  She threatened to come in here with a knife after one bloke pissed her off.    She hates.. lessee….people from wealthy families, all blokes, and anyone who’s a Traditionalist or related to one….religious people… most of the school staff …anyone who eats animal byproducts….people who beat her in debate matches….hell it would probably be easier to list the people she _doesn’t_ hate.“

“and you lock the door at night because of her?” Tucker asked.

“Because we-some of us- don’t want her to kill us actually.” Shiro went to his spot on the bed curled up with his netbook.   Danny knew that Sam was far more rational about her opinions than she used to be, but for whatever reason he couldn’t help thinking it wouldn’t be good if she met Rayne.  “My head still hurts thinking about her….”

“What’d she do to you?” Tucker asked.

“Slammed me into a wall for talking with one of her group.  My _own cousin._ By the way watch out for the clipboard she carries, it’s her weapon of choice. That and the megaphone. Murder on the ears, she is.” The two best friends exchanged looks. 

Tucker whispered, “Does this place just attract crazies?”

Danny shrugged.  So far that’s what it felt like.  “Hey we’re going out now.”

“Well, I might be stepping out but I’ll probably be back by the time you’re back….round fiveish I’d reckon”

“5?  We’re just getting IDs and getting some lunch.” Shiro lowered his screen to look at them.

“Yeah, but right now the office probably has longer lines than Soviet Russia.  Have fun, comrades.”  He leaned back again, lazily browsing. As Danny and Tucker left, Danny muttered “We might want to have lunch first.”

“Definitely, I ‘m not waiting to five to eat.”

They met the girls right by the English building.  Valerie looked like she had something on her mind and was oddly quiet. 

“What’s up?”

“How was your morning?” Jazz asked.

“Lazy” Tucker said before Danny could say anything. 

“Well, we were aware of that” The girls exchanged smirks.  “So heard you have a roommate now.  What’s he like?” Danny shrugged.

“Okay….I mean we don’t know much about him as a person other than he has a weird sense of humor, he’s from one of the big rich families, he spends a lot of time in the bathroom in the mornings, and apparently people think he’s a troublemaker.”

“Which family?” Jazz wondered as they started moving toward the office. 

“The Toyakas.”  Tucker said.

“Leandra gave us a warning about them!” Sam said.  “That they were crooked.”

“That’s funny” Danny lowered his voice and leaned in, “our guide gave us a warning too.  He said they could get really ugly when someone went against the grain.”

“So nothing about mundanes?” Sam said. 

“No…..but I’m starting to wonder exactly what’s going on here.”  Valerie, who had been quiet up to this point, spoke up.

“Same thing I’m wondering actually, we need to talk later, _alone_.” Sam moved forward angrily as if she wanted to say something but Jazz pulled her back.  “I just found out something about my family and yours.”  Danny nodded and nervously tightened his tie, ‘We need to talk’ usually meant something bad. 

The first thing they noticed when they approached the office, or at least saw it for the first time was a huge line.  Kids -ranging from nervous twelve year olds in small clusters reassuring each other  to bored eighteen year olds chatting with friends, browsing expensive phones or making out with someone of the opposite sex-waited as the line inched forward every five minutes in bumper to bumper traffic.

“Wow….Shiro wasn’t kidding.” Tucker said.

“Let’s go eat.”  They drifted toward the cafeteria clumsily weaving through the line. As they got close Valerie spoke up again.

“Hey we’ll be right back, save us a seat.”

“No problem, with all the people in line we’ll probably have the place to ourselves.” Valerie pulled Danny to a private bench near the bushes on the very edges of the courtyard.

“Look..whatever I did I’m really sorry-“ he started.

“Don’t blame yourself it’s not your fault.” She said, “I’m just concerned.”

“About what? You mentioned something about our families.” Danny said, “What does it have to do with the _annoyingly_ cryptic warnings we keep getting?”

“Jazz told me about your head of house.  Jasper F. Monroe right?” Valerie asked. Danny nodded.

“During the summer I got a weird letter telling me about my mother and how she was killed by mundanes and that she was from some big family.” Danny felt like he knew where’s this was going, although he hoped he wasn’t right.

‘ _Please , please don’t let it go there._ ’ He already knew that Jasper was an unpleasant person who just happened to have a connection with his father. He didn’t want to think Jasper was any worse than that.  He certainly hated the thought that he might be dealing with another manipulative people-chess-playing creep.

“It was signed Jasper F. Monroe.”

It went there. It just freakin’ figured. Why couldn’t his life be easy? He sighed.  Blowing it off would most certainly be the wrong thing to do and would blow the miraculous chance he had somehow gotten with Valerie. True, she was warming up to Phantom last time he knew, but he still had expected the stars to align for him to have a chance of Valerie accepting his ghost half, let alone wanting to date him.

“I’m really sorry about that.  I don’t know what games he’s playing…” Danny started.

“I don’t either, but I don’t want to be used again, and I don’t want you to be used either.  There is some reason he wants us here.”  She seemed to stop talking and a realization dawned on her face. “You don’t think he’s trying to set us up do you?”

“Set us up, like a trap?” Danny asked.

“No like us…set us up…together?”  Valerie said.

“ _What_? Why?  The guy is, controlling sure, but he just met me.  I don’t think he would be thinking about marrying me off.” Or rather he didn’t want to think that.  But deep in his mind it was making sense. He was from a big family and so was she.  Jasper was notoriously controlling and set in his ways.  The more Danny thought about it he got serious “Vlad” vibes from the man.

There was a rustle in the bushes and suddenly he felt Valerie’s lips on his. He froze, caught in the moment. She pulled away and Danny heard the sound of two people escaping from the bushes. 

“I’m confused,  first you say we have to talk, then you are upset that someone’s might be setting us up, then you kiss me?”

“I’m sorry” Valerie said, “I heard something and thought someone might be eavesdropping on us and…well in a school for people who have strange abilities…”

“Don’t be sorry, just….how did you know about that” Now it was Valerie’s turn to look confused.

“Know about what?”

“The fake-out make out.  It was something Sam used as a distraction” Valerie looked shocked for a moment.

“Oh… I got the idea from that time when I saw you….and…” Danny couldn’t help letting a few chuckles and soon a torrent of laughter escape him. “Stop it! It’s not that funny!”  He gasped for air to calm himself. 

“Sorry…I just...what are the odds, you know?”

“Tch, you think you and your friends are the only teenagers to think of using make-out sessions as a distraction?” The smile faded from his face.  He would have liked to think it. They both turned around when an old teacher with a face full of stubble noted them.

“Am I interrupting something?”  Oh shit.

“uh..no…no sir”

“I-“

“I don’t want to hear about it, go get your IDs.  Save some for marriage why don’t you” the man snapped, “It would be nice if some of you did that…”  Both of them, red-faced, hurried away from the man.  When they got to the cafeteria they found that there were some other students who had the same idea.  At one table, Jazz, Sam and Tucker sat together.  Jazz waved to them and Danny gave a little wave back. 

The food that the cafeteria offered was far above the quality of Casper High’s food.   Danny noticed a few cooks pushing carts of food containers into the back kitchen.  Catering.  It didn’t surprise him. 

He chuckled to himself when he noticed a full salad bar.  Sam would definitely enjoy this school.

“Hey, you feel like going out this weekend?”

“Huh?” 

“Going on a date, after we get our IDs. “

“Oh, well sure I guess, we don’t know any place here.”

“Relax, I can do some looking into places around the school.”  He nodded and gathered the last of his food. “ 

“You know, there’s a machine for drinks over to the far right of the food bar.”  They looked up to see a dark haired girl, a student, dressed in the same clothes as the other kitchen workers.

“Oh…uh thanks” Danny said.  The girl smiled back at them. 

“Ah , not a problem.” She had a touch of an Irish accent, he noticed. “You’re new here?”

“Yeah, we’ll be starting out first year.” 

“Ah, I thought as much.  Where are you from in the States?”

“Amity Park, Indiana” Valerie said, “It’s a little town in the Midwest” Danny watched as Valerie made cheerful conversation with the girl.  It was strange to think that only two years ago she was one of the A-Listers who used to pick on him.  Life could really change people.   ‘Maybe there’s hope for the other A-List kids too’ he thought. In the last year he even saw the decent sides of Dash Baxter. 

She nudged him and snapped him out of his thoughts.

“You going to pay?”

“Oh!”  He fished the card that his parents had given him out of his pocket. When they were both rung up he went over to the vending machine that the girl had pointed out.

Vending machine was a bit of an understatement. It was a huge machine with a screen showing multiple brands of soda and drink with a bar of napkins straws cups and lids nearby.  “Val, this is awesome!” She chuckled. 

“It’s nice, yeah”   she said, “Looks like the school knows how to keep up to date.” 

“It has that over Casper High already” Danny said, eagerly filling his cup with his favorite soda.

“I wouldn’t be too hasty to declare it better yet” Valerie said, “It may have a lot of nice things but the attitude of the people here could make the difference between pleasant and intolerable.” Danny looked up.

“Some people seem nice though…” he said. Then he remembered the warning he got from Tristan and shifted uncomfortably.  Valerie was right, he had to admit.  The school may have nice things, but there was something funny going on with the people here.  “….yeah ….that is true.”  The two of them filled their cups and got some condiments before heading back to the table with the rest of their group. 

“Bout time you caught up” Tucker said.  “He met Sam’s eyes but she looked away. The glimpse he got was enough to make him feel guilty for the first time since they got here.  In the last year he had started to pick up that Sam felt something more than friendship for him, especially now that he thought about it.  The jokes about being clueless….it all made sense.  He would have to talk to her some time and repair what damage he had already done.

“So”  Jazz said.  “Tucker said that your guide gave you some advice …what exactly did he say?”

“Just…basically that people got really nasty here if he questioned their traditions” Danny said.  “and  then our roommate told us Tristan and Leandra’s dad is head of his household and is holding something over this kid-“

“Elliott Stryke”

“Yeah…I-I think that was his dad.” Danny said, “But….it was a little disturbing.” 

“Sounds like.” Jazz said.

“How’s uh…you know who doing?”Danny asked.

“She’s doing fine” Jazz gestured to a to-go box she had set aside. “I picked up a little something for her.”  Every now and then Danny would look up to check the line.  Whenever it looked like it was getting shorter it always got a few extra.

“I have to say, I really like the salad bar here.”  Sam said, “Lots of variety.” 

“Well, this place probably has a lot more vegetarian students than Casper High did” Jazz said.  Sam looked at her in surprise.

“How do you know?”

“Shapeshifters.  Some of them can turn into and understand animals, according to what we heard from Jasper.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them were vegetarians”

“That and, well…rich people.   A lot of vegans tend to have tons of money, like some of the big families here” Valerie added, “Some of the A-listers I knew in middle school  were vegetarians.  One of them was a very opinionated militant one.  Thankfully she went off to private school when we started at Casper High.” 

“How come I never met her?” Sam asked.

“Because you wouldn’t have anything to do with us, remember?” Valerie took a bit of her food and after a moment added.  “You wouldn’t have liked this girl anyway.  She still acted like an A-list snob in other ways. Not all vegetarians agree, you know.”  Noting Sam’s subtle signs, Danny started to realize that this conversation was going into dangerous territory.   Sam got up and walked away claiming she ‘needed some air’.

“Valerie, uh you think you could give Sam a break?”  he said.

“A break?  What are you talking about?”  she asked, “I just told her the truth.”   Danny sighed.  He got up and went to talk to Sam. 

****

When she saw Danny, it made Sam fume even more.  ‘He’s probably trying to get his new girlfriend out of trouble’ she thought.  She turned away from him a bit.

“Sam, c’mon”  he said.

“If you’re going to tell me to try to be nice to her, you can just save your breath!” she said.  It made her even angrier, that she was suddenly less important than keeping Danny’s new girlfriend happy. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay” he said, “She didn’t mean any-“

“SEE? “  she sighed exasperated.  “See, I knew it” She turned away again, hoping Danny would get the message that she didn’t want to hear it.  She didn’t believe for a minute that Valerie didn’t mean anything by it.  Valerie didn’t like her.  She couldn’t hide it.    It wasn’t that Danny chose someone else; it was that Danny chose her of all people.  Sam didn’t want to seem selfish or possessive but she wasn’t going to pretend it didn’t hurt. Just like when he used to swoon over Paulina when she was standing right there.  

“I didn’t mean it like that” Danny said.  She closed her mouth determined not to reward his excuse making with answers. “Sam… _Sam_.  Look I’m sorry she-“She couldn’t take it anymore.

“I don’t _want_ an apology!” she said. 

“Then what do you want?” Danny asked, starting to get agitated himself.

“I want her to-“She stopped herself knowing what she wanted to say.

_‘I want her to disappear’_

She wanted things to go back to how they were when it all started in freshman year.  Just the three of them going to school and fighting ghosts in their spare time.  No one there to make it complicated.  But it was selfish and she knew it.  The rational part of her knew that she had to stop dwelling over what she had lost…or what she had lost the opportunity for, or she would go crazy. 

“I just need some space okay.  I’m going to go get my ID. Save my food for me, please?” 

“Okay.”  She made her way outside to where people were waiting.  She didn’t want to spend the next several hours watching Danny and Valerie enjoy what she wanted.  She didn’t want to let her anger push her into Vlad territory. 

*****

The wait was, as expected rather boring and long.  Danny tried to see if she could catch a glimpse of Sam every now and then, knowing she was way ahead of them in the line.  He worried about her, mostly because he knew her present feelings were his fault. It ate at him a bit, not hearing from her, only able to guess how she might be doing about now.  He didn’t talk about it too much with Valerie, because it seemed as if her nerves were being tried by whatever was going on with Sam.  He wished he could just fix whatever it was between them like magic, but that was unlikely. Both girls were strong willed, outspoken and tough.   He had a feeling he’d just make things worse by trying to get involved in the girls’ relationship.

“Relax, dude” Tucker said. 

“I am relaxed.” Danny said. 

“She’ll be fine; Sam can take care of herself.” Valerie said.  Hours passed, and they eventually took to watching the kids in line.  With some kids it was easy to guess their powers if you watched long enough.  It was as if showing them off and comparing powers was a sport for Psi. 

“I wonder if anyone else can show me cool tricks with mine.” Tucker said.

“Probably “Valerie said, “from what I heard, there’s a once a week class for using and controlling abilities. I’ll bet you ours is in a computer lab.”

“Sweet!”   By the time they got closer to the office, there was already an evening breeze in the air.  A group caught Danny’s eye, several fair skinned, redheaded and freckle faced kids in a cluster.  One of them sat, distanced from the others. He seemed to always be looking at his feet.  The others didn’t really talk to him much except a few times some of them would jeer at him about ‘whinging’.  He usually seemed to ignore them.  A pair of twin girls came to join the group, wearing ID tags on a lanyard around their necks.

“That queue is mad” one of them said.

“Always is on the first day.”  

He was torn away from the group when someone called his name. 

“Danny!  We’re at the building” Jazz, Tucker, and Valerie stood by the door.”Hurry up, people are passing us.”  Danny followed them in, taking one last look at the group he had been watching.    One of the kids was making remarks to the aloof boy that “more of your lot are here.”  Danny never found out what ‘his lot’ meant.

Within fifteen minutes or so the four of them approached a room in the office building.  A quick picture was snapped for each of them and they were told to wait nearby for the ID to be made. 

“Monroe, Daniel”

“It’s Fenton.”  Danny said, as he went to get his card.

“You’re listed as Monroe.” The woman at the desk handed him his card.  There was a light blue border around the picture.  “If you look in your handbook there’s a color code for the IDs.  Yours is blue meaning you’re cyrokinetic or aquakinetic.”

“Aquakinetic?” Danny asked. No one told him there was such a thing as aquakinetics.

“They’re a bit rare and considered a subset of cyrokinetics. You’re holding up the queue.”  He returned to the room where the others waited.  Tucker returned soon after with his.

“Gray?”  Danny shrugged. 

“Mine was purple.”  Jazz said. 

Valerie naturally had the same color as Tucker.  They made their way back to the dorm halls.  Before they split up Valerie told Danny she would call later to talk about details for their date.  As he made his way back he hoped nothing would happen between Valerie and Sam.

*******

The doorman opened the door at the end of the hallway, revealing what looked like the office of someone with elaborate expensive taste.  Vlad cautiously entered and looked around.  It was quite big for an office, actually.  The rug beneath him was a crimson red and felt cool and soothing to the feet.  A pair of shoes was set near the doorway.  The curtains matched the rug, but with an added gold trimming.  There was a desk in one corner that had a small bowl of fancy chocolates. He only had a few moments to wait when someone emerged from another doorway (it seemed, upon second glance that the master bedroom was connected to the office.  How very odd.)

Kagami Toyaka was the kind of woman who would turn heads. Vlad may not have found himself attracted to her personally, but he had to admit there was something about her that was attention-grabbing, captivating.  She had a deeply tanned complexion, and dark hair that, was it not up in a bun, would reach down below her shoulders.  She was not thin; she had an athletic curved body structure, but she carried herself well. Most peculiar of all, she had eyes that were an unusual color.  A deep murky brownish-red. 

“Vlad, you made it.”  Her greeting was….slightly affectionate and off-putting.  Did she greet every businessperson with an embrace?  He gave a small step back.  “You made good time as well.”  She didn’t seem very offended by it; she just carried on as warmly as before.

“Thank you, very much, Ms. Toyaka.” He said retaining his businesslike nature.  He wasn’t going to question her manner and make things awkward.

“I hope you were given no trouble?”  Her eyes went to the closed door where the doorman had just left.   She didn’t have to give any facial expression to give a person the impression that she was looking right through them.  As she waited for the answer studying him, he decided it would be unnecessary to lie to her. He knew her tactics (as he had sometimes employed them himself to people he believed might lie to him) and could tell she would be able to spot behavior that might suggest dishonesty.

“Your son didn’t seem very pleased with my being here.”  Kagami sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, he is just protective of me.” She said with a sigh, “He’s always been that way.”  She would lead him out of the room.  “We can do our business in the study.”  The study was a bit of a small walk away. 

“Might I ask why you were insistent that I arrive right away? “He asked, “It is quite late.”

“Oh well, I suppose I lost track of the time change.” She said airily. He couldn’t be sure whether she was sincere or not.  “But you are welcome to stay the night here.”  That was quite a generous offer.  It left Vlad more put off.  Why was she so interested in him and so insistent on giving so much hospitality?  He didn’t believe for a moment that she was just this eccentric naturally.     “If you prefer I could wait until morning…” 

Even though she offered he could tell that it wasn’t what she wanted.  She was quite excited about this, from what he gathered.  He was interested himself in what she wanted so much and decided he could wait.

“Oh no, I’m fine.  Thank you for your generosity.”

“Oh it’s nothing.” She led him into a study and shut the door.  Curiously enough she also, after turning on a light, started shutting the windows. When she turned around the red in her eyes was far more illuminated.  “You’re not a mere human, are you Mr. Masters?”


	8. First Dates and New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Valerie go on a date, while Sam goes on a date with Danny and Tucker's roommate to get her mind off Danny. Meanwhile Dani and Jazz bond while Vlad makes dealings with a questionable partner

During the evening Valerie went out of her way to avoid Sam.  Not only was the girl in a bad enough mood what with  her dating Danny, but Sam had gotten a call from Leandra that afternoon requesting her presence at a Sunday brunch for the Stryke family.  She had retreated to her room shortly after shutting herself away with the rest of her food and a cup of herbal tea. 

“Have a good time” Valerie told Jazz and Dani.  Jazz had decided to make the night a ‘sisterly bonding night’. Valerie thought it was nice, she was very glad to see that Jazz was helping in making Dani comfortable, and being the family she needed. 

When she left, Jazz was just getting ready to order a pizza for the two.  “What do you want on yours, Danielle?”

“Pepperoni….and sausage and uh…pineapple maybe. “

“"Okay then," Jazz said, "I like most of that... I'll just order that. Without the pineapple if you don't mind too much."

“Okay.”  That was something for another day; after all, they did say there was a nice cafeteria.

 Jazz phoned in the order, after making sure the campus would let in deliveries, and turned to Dani... "So, first," she said, "we can do our toenails."  She found herself getting quite excited.  While she loved having Danny as a brother she always wondered what it would have been like to have a little sister.

 

Dani looked a bit confused and titled her head slightly. “Do… _what_ to them?”

 

Jazz laughed, picking up her makeup kit from a counter, "Paint them,it's pretty, and it's something of a social activity, I suppose because you're close and working together, it inspires more conversation”

 

“Oh” Dani looked down at her toes, “I guess that sounds fun.” 

 

“I’ll start, since this is your first time.” Jazz pulled what looked like a miniature chest of drawers, and opened one. “What color do you want?” Dani looked at her toes, unsure of what might look best with them.  All she could think of is her favorite color.

 

“Well, red I guess.” She said with a shrug. Jazz pulled out the red bottle and unscrewed it.

 

“Okay, stretch your legs out front.  Don’t worry I’ve done this plenty of times.” She said. Dani gave a nervous little laugh.

 

“Okay, if you say so...” She watched as Jazz took out some tools.  With a small pick she gently scraped them. Dani only winced a few times.  Then Jazz started painting the biggest ones first.

 

“So…if you don’t mind me asking, what was it like growing up in Vlad’s house?”  Dani sighed, she expected the question.

 

“Well…he was nice actually. I mean at first he gave me everything I wanted when he wasn’t busy.  He didn’t lose his patience too much.  I mean when he trained me he was as stern as he needed to be.  Really it all just seems worse when thinking about what came later.  But….at the time I never knew.”

 

“I wouldn’t have pegged him as that type…when he was trying to bond with me and Danny…well  with me he always seemed like he was trying so hard, to be nice and gain our trust and sometimes tried to use slang”  Jazz winced , “it was a bit…”

 

“Awkward?”

 

“Painfully” Jazz said. 

 

“Well, with me it seemed natural, I suppose that’s why it was such a shock when he turned out to be….you know” She looked down at her half painted foot, “Maybe it was weird for you because he didn’t know what you had already been told, or already knew.”

 

“…that would make sense” Jazz said. “and I’m sorry you had to go through that….If I could have done anything I would.” Dani sighed, she knew Jazz’s heart was in the right place but still being apologized to after the fact didn’t do anything for her.  It’s not like  Jazz had any way of knowing and really it wasn’t her fault.

 

“It’s fine…it’s all in the past.  I’m much better now.” She said. “He can’t hurt me anymore, right?”

 

“Just try not to get too closed off because of it.  It’s amazing how many psychological problems can come out of closing yourself off from people.”  Jazz returned to painting the toes on her other foot.   

 

“I’m fine, I mean, even after some misunderstandings when Valerie and I first met, I got to know her” Dani said.

 

“….what misunderstandings?”  Jazz looked up.

 

“It’s nothing, it was a misunderstanding because Vlad was playing her, I really don’t want her to be blamed.”    Dani said.  Perhaps she should have chosen her words more carefully. The sound of a doorbell interrupted them. 

 

“Hide” Jazz whispered.  Dani nodded and went invisible as Jazz got up to take care of the pizza.  She returned with a box and a couple bottles of soda.  Dani popped back into visibility licking her lips. Jazz smiled and got out some plastic plates and cups.  She poured the both of them a generous helping of soda.  “Cheers?”

 

Dani smiled and tapped her glass “Cheers.”

 

*****

Sam tried not to pay attention as Valerie prepared for the date and Jazz and Dani talked.  She jammed her headphones in her ears and listened to her music in her own separate room until she was sure Valerie left.  As she waited she looked at her ID card.  It was surrounded by a border of brown.  Not the color she would have chosen to represent her power but it really didn’t matter.   It was an ID card; it didn’t need to be pretty. 

In the other room she overheard snippets of the conversation.  Before Valerie left she and Jazz had been talking about Jazz’s most recent idea, to teach Dani by themselves with some workbooks from the campus bookstore.  It was a bit ambitious she had to admit.  But she figure Jazz Fenton could handle it if anybody could. Dani had been getting very friendly with Jazz, and she already knew Valerie very well. 

Sam didn’t dislike Danielle, really.  She didn’t trust her initially for helping Vlad kidnap Danny, but after she heard some of the story she softened up a bit on the kid.  Vlad was her only father figure, that had to suck.  Sam’s own adoptive parents could be obnoxious and narrow minded (especially her mother whenever Maddie Fenton was involved) but Vlad was actually _evil_ and dangerous. 

Sam thought about the invitation from Leandra.  She had been prepared to refuse because she was pretty certain she didn’t want to learn anything else unpleasant about Leandra and the older girl’s bossy tone and insistence rubbed her the wrong way. She didn’t need this girl to be her mother.  But Leandra was stubborn and Sam could only get her to stop pestering with a “I’ll think about it”. 

She got out her computer and started to distract herself with computer games.  She had gotten quite good at playing solitaire. She would often play it when her mother grounded her, a little way of showing she wasn’t to fussed about it.  It was fun to rattle her like that.  As she was drawing closer to a win, a Skype window popped up on her screen.  The prospect of going out to eat with Leandra didn’t seem to appeal to her, but she was curious about meeting other Stryke relatives. Leandra did say she could bring a friend. Maybe Tucker.

_Tucker Foley-T. Fine Calling._

Sam rolled her eyes, like she always did at Tucker’s Skype name, but took the call. Solitaire had really lost its excitement; she already knew how to win. The first thing she heard was a bit of background noise.

“T. Fine?  Really?” It was an amused voice with a rather posh sounding accent to it.

“Shaddup!”

Tucker’s face popped up, looking annoyed at someone offscreen.

“Hey Sam!”

“You know…you really should consider changing your username. “She said, “ I can tell you…that’s a girl repellant.”

“Come on, girls like a guy with confidence.” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“And how many girls have you gotten the attentions of using your ‘catchphrase’?” Tucker opened his mouth but then closed it. 

“Anyway….you okay?”

“Of course I am” She tried not to sound sarcastic.”Why wouldn’t I be?”

“….uh okay ….well anyway…” Tucker did a rather poor job of ‘carefully evading the subject’ – over-careful and painfully awkward- and Sam groaned and rolled her eyes.

“You know if you’re going to tiptoe around me about it, don’t.  That’s only going to piss me off more.”  

“Are you serious?  You don’t want to talk about it, and now you don’t want me to skip around it?” Tucker said.

“No I don’t want to talk about it, but don’t act like I’m going to burst into tears if you mention it.” She said.  She heaved a sigh, she was being kind of mean to him. “Sorry.  Anyway, what are you doing for the night?” Tucker shrugged. 

“Nothing really.” 

“I offered to shuffle up some cards, but he didn’t seem interested.” A voice from the bed, the same accented voice from before, came from the side of the screen. 

“Dude, you said you’d been to a casino before.  Why play when you know you’re going to lose?” Tucker said. 

“Ahh, you assume that being at a casino means I’m good,” There was a chuckle, “I’m flattered, but no.  I – I’m completely rubbish at it, I just go to make sure Sylv doesn’t spend too much having a flutter on everything that stands still long enough.”  There was a bit of movement and another person came into view.  A boy with sleek dark hair and glasses.  Presumably the roommate. 

“Sylv, huh?  Is that your girlfriend?” Sam asked.  For a moment a look of bewilderment crossed his face and he burst out laughing.

“Sorry….sorry…I just…oh hell that’s” he shook his head wiping tears from one eye. “No.  Sylvester.  He’s …ah he’s one of my cousins.  Can hardly hold on to his money for a moment.”

“Oh…I assumed it was short for Sylvia.” She said sheepishly. 

“I wonder what his reaction would be if I called him that.” The boy said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Don’t blame me if you get decked in the face.”  Sam said. The boy looked at her in confusion.

“…decked?” 

“Punched.”  Tucker said.

“Oh …. well Sylvester’s not _that_ thin skinned” he shrugged waving a hand flippantly.  “He doesn’t usually hit me unless we’re hitting each other.” 

“Is this some weird family tradition you have?” Sam asked quirking a brow.

“Certainly, it’s called being…ah frenemies, I think the term is.” The roommate held up a hand, “But passing over my quirky family traditions. I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself. I am Shiro..Aka…Blade ‘Toyaka’.”  He gave a small bow. Now, she thought, he was showing off a little, trying to impress perhaps. It was a little bit amusing.

“Interesting nickname, I really thought Tucker was pulling my leg when he told me that.  I’m Sam. Sam Manson.”

“I’m going to take a gamble and assume you do not like being addressed as Samantha.”

“You‘d probably be taking more of a gamble if you tried”

“She’s not kidding.” Tucker said. He had seen this firsthand in middle school, when another kid had tried to address her as such. Shiro took a seat on the side of the bed. 

“So, what’s your ability then, if you don’t mind me asking?  I already know these two’s” 

“Oh, uh Geokinesis …um second type” When she was getting her ID she learned that there were two types of geokinesis, ground type and plant type. The receptionist had been rather unamused when she remarked that those sounded like Pokémon types. “I wasn’t sure whether or not that was a personal question.” Shiro waved his hand.

“When we’re all cozy behind the school walls, it’s as common as asking what’s someone’s sign. Aquarius by the way, and human to animal shape-shifter.”  Sam brightened up.

“Really?” She asked, sitting up.  She found herself blurting out a few questions she had. What was it likes, what did animals talk about, and what forms did he know?  She stopped, a bit self-consciously, seeing him awkwardly rub the back of his neck looking perplexed.

“Wow…usually people laugh and say ‘prove it’ once they get a good gander at me” he said. Both Sam and Tucker had the same question

“Why would they do that?” Shiro’s voice took on a sudden sharp bitterness and he huffed indignantly.

“Apparently they expect beast-shifter blokes to be some sort of big hard sort” he said. “My ex laughed at me for a solid two minutes straight, and said I was too ‘twiggy’ to be one.”   Sam made a face.

“Ugh, I can see why she’s your ex.”  

“Eh, I didn’t break it off over that.  There were other reasons.” He looked a bit nervous for a moment. “Anyway… shapeshifting blokes are expected to be big and tough.” 

“That sounds like a dumb stereotype to me.”  Sam said.  Shiro shrugged a shoulder.

“Eh, there are enough that are like that to make people believe it’s the norm. Nothing I can do it about it but sit here in my little corner with my inferior genetics.”  He gave a dramatic forlorn sigh.  ‘Quite the drama king’ Sam thought.  But he was also funny and interesting to talk to.

They got to talking about other things and when Sam mentioned their old school, Shiro seemed interested but also quite shocked.

“You’ve _been_ to a public school?  I’ve heard all sorts of stories about those.  My mum always told me that they’re poorly staffed, have terrible lessons, and let some students get away with anything.”  He said. “A cousin of mine told me a sports player killed a girl he had sex with and his coach helped him cover it up...”

“That’s kind of extreme, but based in some truth.   Our school pretty much, yeah. Although the popular crowd hasn’t tried murder yet, thankfully. “Sam said, “I don’t know about that.  Might be true….but it probably got headlines because that sort of thing doesn’t happen every day. What’s really _more_ worrying is the public school system’s habit of pushing drugs on students that they can’t control, and whatever goes on at the places where they get their meat.”  She knew about the first one from a report she did for health class on drugs (Tetslaff hadn’t been amused but she did say it could be on _anything_ relating to drugs.)

“They _what_?”  Shiro looked at her incredulously.

“Well prescription drugs like Ritilan and stuff. “ Tucker had been assigned to be her partner on that project. “Legal stuff.”

“But still very harmful, and being used by school systems to drug up students to force them to fit in their one size fits all learning system , rather than changing to accommodate the student-” Sam said.  Tucker cleared his throat.

“Sam…that’s not exactly helping” he discretely nodded towards Shiro who looked quite shocked. 

“Right…” she said, “It’s a pretty different lifestyle than you’re used to probably.” 

“ _Apparently_ so” for a second she awaited some superior comment like Leandra had made, but no such comment. He shifted in discomfort and embarrassment. But a few moments ago, it might have been her imagination but he had sounded almost impressed with them.   “Right, sorry….I probably sound quite stupid.” 

“It isn’t stupid to be curious about something you’re unfamiliar with.” She said. She remembered what had been said about the Toyakas.  But so far the Strykes had been quite arrogant and self righteous , wrapped up in their own importance while the only Toyaka she had met so far was , at worst pretty sheltered and perhaps a bit ignorant.

“So were you recruited by a head of household too?”  Shiro said, probably attempting to change the subject.

“No.  I chose to when I found out that-“She almost said ‘that Danny was invited’.  He was still on her mind.  Danny wasn’t the reason she chose to go here, it was her family. 

_‘But would you have gone if it weren’t for him?’_

“….yes?”

“-when I found out I was adopted.  My birth parents were Psi” It was rather personal even Tucker was shocked to hear it come out of her mouth at that moment.  But it sounded better than saying that she only chose this to follow a friend.  “They were part of the Stryke family.”  She half expected some negative reaction from Shiro; after all she’d heard about the Strykes and Toyakas. He looked a bit awkward.

“Ah.  Well….you’re in luck, there’s a lot of teachers here who are fond of the Strykes.” He said giving an uneasy smile.

“Yeah….well….I’m still a bit unsure what to make of them so far.” She said, “My first introduction to them was well…”

“Leandra?  She’s enough to put anybody off yeah.” Shiro said.  “They’re not _all_ that bad apart from the obvious radical sorts.“ Tucker gave him a look but he ignored it.

“Where did this rivalry start anyway?”

“Who knows, there’s probably a thousand and one theories. Most of them have to do with someone wronging the other, and a dozen revenge duels.  Neither side really let go for ages .  Psi have a habit of holding onto history, and old grudges.  Sometime in the 1800s our families took to politics and the whole mess started up again.” Shiro explained.

“Politics….that’ll do it”

“I know some of them hate blindly, like Rex’s followers and Lawrence-”

“Lawrence is a Stryke?” Sam felt her heart sink.  As if Leandra wasn’t unpleasant enough, Lawrence had shown a deep contempt for Modernist opinions and anything that challenged ‘Psi tradition’ during his opening speech at orientation. 

“He’s a Stryke ally, one of the people under the Traditionalist umbrella.  Freethy, McDane, Fletcher, Llewyn”  Shiro ticked off the names on his fingers.  “Lawrence is a Freethy….engaged to Leandra…” Sam did a spittake, spraying the herbal tea she had been drinking all over her laptop screen. 

“Leandra’s _engaged_?”  she asked, “But she’s….she’s only about Jazz’s age-“

“She’s eighteen. Old family sorts tend to start arranging your future spouse at sixteenish, and have you married off before twenty” Shiro said.  “Surprised she didn’t mention it yet, she was right thrilled about it and showing off her new engagement ring to all her friends just last term.” There was a bit of bitterness when he spoke about her.  It made Sam feel guilty when she thought of the way Leandra had talked about him.  He looked uncomfortable and looked away.

“So  the Stryke teachers….are they the same way?”

“Some of them yeah, there are some who keep their opinions to themselves, but the outspoken ones are the most common. One of them is the nurse, always gives me looks and has a clever remark when I come in. Asks me what heart I’m breaking today.”  She would have asked if he was that type, but seeing the way his shoulders drooped and he seemed hurt by the suggestion.  He took off his glasses and folded them open and closed.  “Nothing more embarrassing than having a teacher remind you that you ‘have a reputation’.”

“Dude…harsh.” Tucker said.

“More like student harassment!” Sam said, firing up, “Did you report it? Teachers shouldn’t be allowed to bully students like that!”

“It was a little while ago, and well I do have a tendency to sneak out….go to parties…just loosen up  forget about strict parents and stuff.  I didn’t want to bring any attention to it, not worth it, you know.”    They talked a bit more about other teachers at the school; a few of the descriptions interested her while others concerned her.    

She was finding Shiro very interesting to talk to.  He seemed decent, sometimes rather funny, and his commentary on the Psi community was very interesting.   An idea grew in the back of her mind.  Part of her knew it was a sketchy idea, but it was very tempting especially when she thought about where Danny was now.  For the last few days since he met Valerie at the airport it’s been nonstop “Valerie, Valerie, Valerie”.  She liked to think that lately she and Danny had been getting close, and maybe there was a chance he had felt the same way and she might have been able to tell him.  But now that was all forgotten and while she wasn’t going to get involved in messing with his romance, it ate at her.  She needed a distraction, and she had an idea for a distraction that might also tell her what she longed to know about Danny.  

“So….you know any good places to go then?”  she asked.

“To go?” Shiro asked, looking between Tucker and her.

“Yeah, like for a date.”  Sam said, “if that’s all right with you.”

“Uh Sam, are you sure?”  Tucker asked.  Shiro looked flustered and a little unsure as well. 

“Tuck, I’m a big girl, tie my own boots by myself and everything.  I can handle a guy.”  Sam said.

“Perhaps you should listen to your friend…I –I mean I’m flattered thank you but…well…” Shiro said. 

“Do you plan on hurting me?” Sam asked.  Shiro looked rather taken aback.

“N-no, of-  of course not”  he said ,“Well there’s a nice place behind the Golden Plaza, I’ve heard that it’s not too wild”

“Not _too_ wild” Tucker gave Shiro a look, “dude….what is this place? A club? And what exactly is _too wild_ to you?”  Shiro gave a weird strangled sounding laugh.

“Don’t worry….it’s fine.”

“Tucker….I don’t need you to be my parent.”

“I’m not that sort, I have a younger sister!  I wouldn’t do anything to a date that I would kill a bloke for doing to Ana.”

“I should _hope_ you don’t plan on treating me how you treat your sister.” Sam said making a face. 

“No! I didn’t mean that…I just…look…I’m going to treat you well all right?” 

“Tucker doesn’t need to be worrying about that because he knows or should know that I wouldn’t put up with someone who didn’t.”  Tucker quickly closed his mouth and Shiro started stammering.

“Oh o-of course…I didn’t mean to imply…” 

“Just relax, all right.”   She said.  He stopped talking and just looked awkward. 

“So……er that good though? Golden Plaza, tomorrow night.  At eight maybe.  I can get a taxi, or maybe a cousin to drive me.” He said, “They’d have to be really distant though.”

“Why?” Sam asked.

“Trust me, you don’t want my aunt to know I’m dating you.  Or my mother for that matter. “he gave a little shudder. 

“Fair enough.”  Part of her was excited, part of her was nervous about what she had just done.  Asked a member of the ‘enemy’ family out on a date, not to mention the guy who was Danny and Tuck’s roommate.  ‘A bit early to be starting something isn’t it?’ her common sense told her.

Who cared though?  She was just living her own life. 

“Tucker, you …could you wait a bit to tell Danny?”  she asked. “At least until after the date?”  It wasn’t fair to ask him to keep a secret from his friend, from their friend. 

“….I can try.  But are you-“

“You better not be asking if I’m sure.  I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.  And don’t give Shiro a hard time, please. _I_ asked _him_. ” 

*****

Danny found Valerie waiting by the gates of the school.  He was reminded of the brief time they dated before, how quickly he went from dreading seeing her to looking forward to it in mere months.  It was so sudden he didn’t even really think about it until it happened, a few chats and they were falling for one another.

He hurried up his pace to catch up with her before the sky darkened all the way. She was waiting near the bushes at the front of the school, on the bench the students who had been waiting for their IDs had sat, wearing a somewhat overly large, but nice looking coat.  One of the things he had learned when dating her was that Valerie Grey was good at looking good, and could find decent clothes whether she had money or not. 

“Hey…”  He came up to meet her. “You….you look nice.”  Inwardly he wanted to smack himself, that sounded stupid…cliché almost.

“Thanks” she gave him a warm smile. “How have you guys been doing?”

“Allright…got a roommate, don’t know what to make of him yet. From some big name family, but doesn’t seem to be too proud of the community.  I think I mentioned earlier”

 “The Toyaka guy?  I hear that their family has a rivalry with Sam’s”  Valerie said, “we’d better be careful, because it seems pretty fierce.  Leandra seemed to talk about them like they were the scum of the earth.  I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them wanted revenge.” 

“Yeah…. By the way, how she doin’?”

“Sam?  She seemed down that we were-“ Danny shook his head.

“No…I mean….um” A look of realization dawned on Valerie’s face. 

“She‘s doing well…she and your sister are having a bonding night.” She said, lowering her voice. “It was kind of adorable.”  Danny smiled.

“I bet.  Jazz will love having a little sister and Dani, well it’s good that she has more people looking out for her.” He looked around, just to be safe.  “Now…uh…how about a flight on Air Phantom? I’ve done this tons of times with my friends, so it’s safe.  But I understand if you want to use the hoverbo-“

“..I wouldn’t mind…”

*****

Vlad stared at Kagami for a moment in shock, words failed him.  Did she just say what he thought she said?  How could she possibly- He decided the best route was to play dumb.

“Not- excuse me madam, what exactly do you mean, not a _mere human_?” he said, faking indignance and confusion. Kagami sighed rolled her eyes, with a look that said she’s heard this before.

“Spare me the act, dear.  I’ve grown quite weary of it.  It should comfort you to know that you are amongst the most excellent of company.” She gestured to herself, “I have a very special power, alongside my regular abilities.  This is all strictly confidential of course in case you’re worried.” 

“Regular abilities?  What do you mean?” Vlad asked.

“Of course.  I am a Psi, Mr. Masters, human to human shape-shifter. Having looked at some of your early theorems and studies – college I assume, my dear?-I believe that you are at least somewhat aware of people like me.”  She said.  He was very suddenly reminded of some of his work before Jack and Maddie came into his life-in fact it was what had drawn him to someone like Jack in the first place   He had been researching some old studies.  “You were interested in the studies of Dr. Rosencrantz?”

He had been doubted and scoffed at before for studying the findings of Dr. James Rosencrantz who had been thought a crackpot for believing and trying to prove the existence of highly adaptable humans with ‘natural mutations’.  Even though he had published a book with scientific evidence that pointed to it.  Vlad had attended a seminar led by the man.  Rosencrantz had sound ideas for how his ‘mutant humans’ could exist, though he was often accused of ‘chasing unicorns’ by other academics.  Vlad started quietly looking into his studies.

He had been enthralled by the ideas and some of Rosencrantz’s genetic theories, and what it could mean for science, for research, for regular humans like him.  If all humans could achieve what these ‘mutants’ could, well there were all sorts of possibilities.  And Vlad preferred not to close his mind to them. 

When he had reluctantly admitted his secret fascination to his newest roommate, -Jack Fenton, he was surprised when Jack shrugged and accepted it rather than laughing at him.  He later found out when talking to Jack more-when Jack let something slip when drunk, that these theories weren’t just possible, they were real.  And thus had been the beginning of a doomed friendship.  He had quietly studied them on the side even after he fell out with Jack, but he still didn’t see fit to reveal Jack’s family. He thought about it, once, but dismissed the thought.  Even if he could prove it, a grudge against one man, however great was not a good reason to endanger a whole society.  That kind of betrayal felt repugnant to him. 

Jack may have betrayed him, but he was going to be the bigger man.  Besides, these mutants had much to offer the world if given the chance. 

“But how could you know?” Vlad asked, “Anything I wrote on that was under a pseudonym.”

“I followed Rosencrantz for a time, and out of interest, looked up some of the work of those who followed him. Those would be people to keep an eye on for safety’s sake.    Your name came up far too often for it to be a coincidence and the pseudonym was an easy enough puzzle for my son to work out.”  It wasn’t unlikely for a Psi to have a wary eye on Rosencrantz, Vlad thought.  Though his work was brilliant the man’s attitude toward his “mutants” was cold and untrusting, almost dehumanizing at times. While Vlad had been interested in how they could help society, Rosencrantz seemed to focus on what a threat these “creatures” could be. 

Still finding out all this was unsettling.  Especially to find that one could so easily link his early work to him. 

“I was pleasantly surprised by your work I must say, most people who believes in his theories seemed to be interested in how to get us on an examination table in pieces” She said.

“So…how long have you been following my work?”  She looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Oh, a few years now.  Your name came up unusually often in business news.  It was, forgive me but, hard to buy that it could be a coincidence after the first few times you won this company or that. “Kagami smiled, “First few times, I thought luck, but one can only have so much luck. There had to be something more. “She looked over him.  “So…now that you know my secrets, what’s yours?”  She had him now, and heaven help him he wasn’t interested in letting go. 

“First, tell me more about what you can do, what is your very special power?”  he asked.

“Are you a superstitious man” she said, looking over him warily, “The sort who believes that people are damned to hell for being a little extraordinary?”  He quirked an eyebrow. “…let me put it to you this way…do you believe in a little thing known as alchemy?”

“I know of it… yes, the scientific side of it at least.” He said.  “if you’re asking me if I’m religious?  Agnostic strictly speaking.   But I don’t see how this is here nor there, unless…” he started putting the pieces together in his mind, “…do you mean to tell me that you are practicing magic?”

Her arrogant smirk was all the answer he needed.

*****

“So, college reunion?”  Valerie said, “That’s how you met him?”  They were sitting at Ed’s Easy Diner, a place that Jazz had suggested for them earlier when Danny asked her for help finding a place.  Both of them looked over their menus making small talk. 

“Yeah apparently he was my dad’s best friend in college.”  Danny said.  “The double bacon burger looks good.” 

“Really” Valerie raised an eyebrow, “Because there was one time I was talking with him and he mentioned something about killing your dad. 

“Yeaaaaah” Danny said, “..basically he got in the way when Mom and Dad were working on a portal and got blasted when it opened. It gave him horrible ecto-acne and had him stuck in the hospital…and apparently gave him ghost powers. He still blames my Dad for ‘stealing’ my mom.  One time when Mom and I were out in the woods near his vacation home , which was totally his doing, he made his moves on Mom while ordering some ghosts to kill Dad.”  Valerie cringed in sympathy.

“Wow…what a creep.”  She said.

“Yeah no kidding.” Danny said, “First time we met he tried to schmooze up to me when he found out I was half ghost to, only to corner me and make me choose between him and Dad.  Made Jazz and I fight to the death once too.”

“You’re joking!” Valerie said, wide-eyed.

“Unfortunately no” Danny said. “He told me once that he knows my grades…I only _wish_ I was joking.”

“You know….you should file a restraining order….I mean if he’s doing all this to you and your mom.  I know your parents are friends and all, but that’s pretty much harassment.” From the way Danny looked at her in response it seemed as if he hadn’t thought of that.

“I wish….but….I don’t know how I’d prove it….”  He said. “He’d probably mess that up, though, cause you know, ghost powers…”

“Oh right” The both of them stopped talking as the waitress came over.

“Double bacon burger, fries and a shake” 

“I’ll just take a classic basket and a coke.”  Once the waitress was gone they resumed the conversation.  “well anyway…you still have that ring I returned?  Maybe we could just pretend I never gave it back.” He reached into his pocket and handed it to her.  “….it says Sam here doesn’t it” she said after looking over it.  Danny’s face went red.

“It does? Oh man….that’s what it said.  I’m sorry…my Dad…he must have thought-“ he stopped when he realized she was laughing. 

“It’s fine.  I’m just- you mean you never figured out what it said.”  He looked down sheepishly.

“I kind of thought it meant ‘Wes’ like you did.“ he said, “My dad’s handwriting has always been a bit…uh, weird.  He must have done it with a laser pointer.” 

“It actually looks kinda nice; I suppose we can get someone to fix it though.”  She slipped it on her finger.  It bothered her just a little bit, but she knew it wasn’t’ Danny’s fault.  Eventually the waitress came over with their food. 

Danny reached for the ketchup, as he picked it up he noticed the label on the bottle. “That’s a weird way to spell ketchup.”

“It’s an old fashioned spelling; I’ve seen it in a few books.  Must be a regional thing.” Valerie said.

“So ,” Danny started on his burger, “You looking forward to the new school?”

“It‘s been all right so far.  I’m just waiting to see if it’s changed much since my mom was here. ” she picked up one of her onion rings, “You seen any ghosts yet?’ 

“Luckily, no” he said. “My Dad says this place is full of them.  Did you bring...uh your gear?”

“I managed to sneak it along. “She smirked, “I wouldn’t mind fighting ghosts with you again…Phantom.”

*****

The next morning would find the group of American students slowly beginning to settle in.  Sam would normally have found Valerie coming in after the date on cloud nine unbearable, and she found it annoying a bit. But she forced herself to focus on her plans for the night.  She would be doing her own thing tonight.  She got up, got ready and kept to herself through the day, not letting Valerie see any annoyance. 

“You want to tell me what’s going on?” Valerie asked. That afternoon as Sam was getting ready for night out. 

“Valerie just because I’m not sulking about you and Danny doesn’t mean there’s something going on with me. I have a life outside Danny, if you haven’t noticed.” She clipped in another earring and fastened the necklace around her neck.

“Sam, what are you getting ready for, are you going out to some fancy thing with the Stryke girl?” she asked. Sam scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Please if this was about the thing with Leandra, she would be dragging me out of here that is if she _could_.”  She said. 

“Well...you’re acting a lot like….Sam, are you going out on a date?” Jazz looked up at that.

“I told you I had life outside hanging with Danny.”  She said, “I got to talking with Tucker and the roommate, Shiro.  He seemed like an interesting guy.”

“Their roommate?”  Valerie and Jazz asked. “Sam, are you sure, that seems like a very risky idea, I mean if things go wrong... it might get awkward with them.”

“Guys, I can take care of myself.  I talked to him, and he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would pull anything, and even if he was, _I can take care of myself_.”  She picked up her phone turned it back on and dropped it in her purse.

“Well you should try thinking of how your actions will affect someone else” Valerie said.  Sam stiffened and turned around.

“Are you…are you calling me _selfish_ …?  For going on a _date_?” she asked.  Before anything more was said Jazz came between them. 

“Hey both of you calm down.  Sam’s allowed to make her own choices Valerie” she said, “and Sam, Valerie was just-“

“I don’t care.” Sam said.  “I’m living my own life; she can just get over it.”She put her ID card in her purse and sealed it shut.  Without hearing anything more from the two girls she left and firmly shut the door behind her.  She took a few deep breathes, she wouldn’t ruin this by spending the night angry.  She was trying to get away from this, from the situation, and deep down, away from Danny at least for a little bit.

She found Shiro outside the gates of the school, pacing nervously.  He seemed to be waiting for something. 

“Did Danny ask anything?”  He looked up. 

“Sama-Sam” he laughed in a weird wheezy way. “No…no…I didn’t even tell him I was on a date. I just said I was going out one last time for the summer.”  He ran a shaky hand through his hair. He was reaching into his pocket fingering something in it. 

“Relax.  We’re just going out for fun” she said. He nodded. 

“Yes….”  In a few minutes a sleek, shiny car drove up the window rolled down revealing a dark haired boy with partially sleeked back hair and a devious smirk. 

“Oi…you called?” Shiro looked back to Sam rubbing his neck.

 “That’s our ride. This is my second…third cousi-“ he turned to the driver. “You were third right?’ 

“Second, you dumb shit.” The driver said impatiently reaching to give Shiro a light smack to the back of the head.  “Ira Shizuya” 

“I knew your name…I just wasn’t sure…..” Shiro fidgeted, looking agitated, “I have _fifty bloody cousins_ , how am I supposed to remember where exactly on the family tree-“He sighed and gestured to the man, giving a sarcastic wave of introduction. “Ira Shizuya.  He’s _somewhere_ on my family tree.”  Sam tried not to giggle at the light family bickering.  Shiro opened the door, offering it to Sam.  She climbed in and Shiro got in after her and pulled it shut. 

“So….”  She said. “Nice car.” 

“I know isn’t it?”  Ira said, “I got it for graduating school. My first was _almost_ as pretty as this one. Almost.”  Bit of a braggart wasn’t he? Shiro looked to her apologetically as if begging her not to judge him by his cousin.  His arm brushed against hers and he pulled it back.

“So-sorry” he said, “I don’t…am I allowed...?”  Sam sighed.

“Shiro, you are allowed to put your arm near me.  What’s with you?”  She said, “I get that you’re not going to be a jerk to me.”

“So….one last hurrah before school eh?” Ira asked.

“Yeah, kinda” Sam said. 

“Going to party hard…huh?  I remember doing that…used to –“

“Ira…I mean no disrespect but we’d really like to avoid that kind of thing” Shiro said.

“Yeah…save that for your last year “He said, “so where you two headed?”

“Grand Plaza” Shiro said.  “There’s a nice place behind it.”  The drive was a little quiet so Sam decided to break the silence.

“So….you taking any interesting classes this year?” she asked.

“Eh…a few…there’s fencing, debate III…” Shiro listed them off on his fingers, “Law and Justice.”

“Debate?”  she asked, “I’m in debate , though it’s first level” 

“Ahhhh” his voice sounded strained, “I should warn you about that, it’s um..Well it’s not hard but some of the people in it, they can be downright frustrating.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.  Shiro chuckled dryly.

“The youngest students in there are twelve and thirteen years old.  When I was in that class I spent half my time arguing with some kid who thinks that debating means ranting and cursing.  Then there’s the ones who are so convinced of their point, you can give a page of works cited and they’ll still say you’re full of shit. “

“You’re better off arguing online” Ira said.

“Yes, thank you” Shiro said nodding.  “I heard they got a better teacher lately, but still….” 

“Well thanks for warning me. “ Sam said, “It’s a prereq to Debate II and III so I thought I should give it a shot.” 

“Well you can call me if you ever need a vent about it” he said. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”  Sam said.  “So, what’s with all the sneaking around with your  aunt…is she really that bad?”  Shiro gulped and looked over to Ira.

“This one’s all yours, mate” he said with a teasing grin.  Shiro looked back to her licking his lips.

“She’s….ah…well…she is rather….strange sometimes, and well….Aunt Kagami seems to always do whatever she wants.  That’s the thing about her. Sometimes you’ll ask her not to do a thing and she’ll just…do it anyway when she feels like it.  She is in charge of the family and basically what that means is she can do whatever.  Sometimes this is good….sometimes it’s …” Sam frowned.

“That doesn’t sound good.” 

“I mean she she’s _not that bad_ …it’s not serious really, she’s just….I don’t know…she doesn’t seem to care of she’s being embarrassing or –or invasive and it’s always just ‘oh you know it’s because I love you right’ or something” He said.  “Not to mention she’s very critical of my mum. As if being head of household gives her supreme parenting wisdom” He shrugged. “But she does know how to deal with my dad so I can’t complain too much.” 

“….What’s your dad like?”  Shiro shrugged a shoulder.

“Doesn’t like me much, thinks I’m a bit of a disappointment” he didn’t seem too bothered by the fact. “But…..anyway…let’s not ruin the night talking about family.”  It was awkwardly quiet in the car again.  She tried to tell herself that maybe she shouldn’t bother him about it; everyone had their issues with their parents.  She was certainly in no place to talk about parents. 

It wasn’t long before they reached the plaza.  It looked like a pretty nice place, the sort that would be the host to fancy parties.  Perhaps that’s how Shiro knew of it. 

“We have arrived at your destination.” Ira said, parking on the side of the road.  “Now, you know the rules Shiro…pay up.” Shiro sighed and took out his wallet.  He pulled out a few notes and handed them over. “Parking meter”

“Allright…fine...” he grumbled and picked out a few more to hand over.  “That should cover the trip here and back.”

“You got it. Don’t get too pissed, won’t you?”  Ira said ruffling his hair.

“DON’T touch” Shiro snapped, swatting a hand away “You know…just for that I’m going to consider getting plastered sometime and call you up.” 

“Whatever you say, kid” Shiro rolled his eyes.  He got out of his side of the car and went over to open the door.

“Thanks” Sam said.  Shiro nodded.  “So…you know this place.” 

“Yeah, been here for a few company parties.”  He said. 

“Company parties?”

“New Capula Mobile” Shiro said, “My aunt was the head of it until she retired early, and Dex works there in the summers.  My dad’s also a manager. It’s where we get most of our family’s income.”   

“Wow…nice…”  They went through the building and Shiro pointed out a few things around.  

“It’s just out back here….fairly small place, but nice enough.”  He led her to the doors that opened up to a row of buildings and a very large empty parking area. 

“Have you been here before?”  Sam asked.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been here a fair few times.” Shiro said, “A friend told me about it” He led her arm-in-arm to the entry door, where a bouncer was manning the entrance.  Sam noticed from the way he said things to the way he moved that he was trying to impress her. He handed the bouncer a card, and looked back at her somewhat apologetically.  He seemed to have the understanding that she wouldn’t be impressed by idiots who flashed their money as if it bought them the world.

He also seemed unusually cautious; she couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.  She appreciated consideration but asking permission for every move was a bit much. Some of the chivalry might have grated on her normally, but with everything she knew about him so far she assumed that it was out of ignorance. Shiro may have been knowledgeable in some ways but in others he seemed extremely sheltered, in that way that rich kids tended to be. 

 As they entered the club, Sam had to take a moment to get adjusted to the sudden lights and noise.  Crowds of teenagers were gathered together moving to the beat of the music playing.  The dance floor lit up with flashing colors while lights from the ceiling blinked.  There was a stage with a karaoke machine that wasn’t in use.  There was also a fully staffed bar. 

Sam was a bit surprised, but then she remembered that laws would be different here.   

“Can we drink?” she asked.

“If you’re sixteen you can get a drink with a meal, which here could just be an order of fries or something.”  Shiro said.  “It’s pretty easy to get good drinks here.  If you don’t want to of course that’s okay, I only will if you do and if you’d rather me not-“

“I actually don’t mind” She was curious; after all, she had sips of wine before at the temple. She was curious about trying a little more.  She was pretty sure she had the good sense not to overdo it, she had always been a bit rebellious, but she didn’t resort to ‘stupid things’ well not _usually_.  She knew the dangers of alcohol, but she also knew it took more than a sip, or even a glass. As long as she was careful nothing bad would happen.   He led her to the bar and offered her a seat. 

“I’ll take a salad and a tropical sunrise” Shiro said.  Sam looked over the menu; the drinks all had some very interesting names. 

“I’ll have a salad and the cider twist,” Sam said. 

“Keep an eye on your drink” Shiro told her as the barkeeper turned away.  “Always keep an eye on your drink at these places, just in case.  If you leave it for a long period of time, don’t drink it. “Sam nodded.

“I know, It’s one of the big things we were told in health class.” 

“Just making sure, I’m always shocked by girls not knowing this.” He said.  “Once a girl I was with got her drink spiked…” he went silent and looked away.  “I don’t want that to happen again.” 

“Don’t worry, Shiro” she said, “I understand you’re trying to help but I can take care of myself.” 

“O-of course”   he looked down, abashed.  She smiled at him and when he looked up, a bit embarrassed; she was struck by how much he was reminding her of-

Of Danny.

Sweet, maybe a little clueless and such a dork.  She remembered what Valerie had said, and wondered, was she really being selfish?  Was she stirring up drama, just to distract herself?  It made her uneasy and she was grateful when the voice of the bartender pulled her out of it.

“Two salads, two drinks!” 

“Oh that’s ours” Sam said.  She put it out of her mind and allowed herself to enjoy the food and fun atmosphere.  The drink was….interesting.  A bit strong but rather tasty.  The music would change every now and then and the styles of dancing would change as well, to suit the music.

She felt a little more energized and as she finished her salad, more interested in joining them.  Shiro was finishing off his drink.  A girl nearby waved. 

“Toyaka!”  she called, coming over.  She reached over and pulled him into a headlock.  “What are you doing here, you scrawny little git?  Got yourself a new girl?” Shiro looked quite uncomfortable and struggled to pull himself free.

“She’s ….please…Carly…” the girl smirked at him. 

“You look youngish , from that fancy arse school of his then?”  she asked. Sam felt annoyed and was already starting to dislike the girl already; she didn’t like being referred to as “someone’s girl”.

“I’m a new student, yeah.  Care to let go of my date, he looks pretty uncomfortable.” she said. The girl snorted and tightened her grip pressing Shiro toward her chest.

“Pfft.  Then you don’t know him very well do you?  The little pervert loves it like this” she said, “He comes round at least once a week chatting up older birds.  I dated him for a bit, tons of fun” She winked and then looked down at him gasping for breath and mussed his hair.   Sam felt her temper rising.

“ _What part of let go do you not understand?_ ” she asked.  She wondered how old this girl was, she looked a bit older.

“Look you can just butt out, we’re just catching up, _aren’t we_ , Toyaka?”  she had loosened her grip a bit on Shiro. He still looked very uncomfortable and now red faced.  He tried to sputter out something and Carly shoved him away.  “That how it is? Get bent, you wanker.” Once she was gone Sam leaned down to make sure he was okay.

“You dated _her_?” He rubbed his head and tried to pull himself up. She got a sudden flash of memory…one that clearly wasn’t hers. Shiro was sitting next to a girl crying into her arms. She didn’t get a chance to figure what she was saying before she was pulled out of it.

“Yeah….she was….uh lively I guess” Shiro said.  “a bit rough though-“

“I’ll say” Sam offered him a hand up, “….you really need to learn to assert yourself a bit better.  Don’t be a doormat for girls like her.”

“…no use, arguing with her only got her angrier, and I’d rather not get her like that…” 

“Why would you date someone like that?” Sam asked.  “No offense…just…I don’t – why date someone who has no respect for you?”  Shiro looked down and gave a half-shrug.

“I dunno….” He said taking his seat again.  He looked up at the bar tender, quietly asking for another. “After some mistakes I made the first time, I was afraid of hurting people, so I suppose I looked for someone who I thought I couldn’t hurt…”

“-but when she’s hurting you-“

“Carly didn’t hurt me” Shiro sounded a bit exasperated, but not as much angry as tired. “Not really...I’m fine, Sam.”  He grabbed the glass of drink as it was passed to him and took a huge gulp.  There was an awkward silence and then Sam ordered another drink as well.  There was a part of her that wanted to ask about his past experiences but she brushed it off.  She had just met this guy, and well, getting angry about someone’s dating or possible sex history was a bit of a jerk move in her opinion. If she didn’t like a guy doing it to her, she wasn’t about to do it to someone else.  Maybe if she would if suspected the guy had _mistreated_ girls but this hardly seemed like the case.

She took a sip of her drink, watching him.  Shiro was becoming a bit difficult to read now.  There was something he might have done that he regretted, and she suspected it ate him up enough to care more about not hurting someone else than taking care of himself.  He reached up and straightened the tufts of hair that had been mussed.  A shame, he looked cuter that way, almost like…

Sam shook her head and took another drink.  She wasn’t going to think about that. She looked down in the drink, half left, she wasn’t feeling terribly different.  More relaxed though. 

“You doing any better?”

“Yeah” he said, finishing off the drink. “Sorry…I didn’t plan on having another…just-“

“You don’t have to apologize to me, just, don’t go overboard. I do hope to do some dancing at some point” she said.  He looked up surprised.

“Really?” 

“Yeah, this place is a dance club, after all” She finished off the last of her drink and then pulled herself up.  “Come on, this sounds like a good song.”  She led him out onto the dance floor. They danced alongside each other, Shiro looking somewhat unsure of what he was doing. It was a different experience than the typical school dance, like a huge electronic rock concert.  Sometimes they danced next to each other and sometimes they danced together.

When they danced together, well Sam learned that Shiro did seem to have some skills in dance, because he seemed to know a lot of the traditional tricks dips and twirls enough to put a modern spin on them.  At one point she caught another memory, this time a happier one.  Shiro was with two other kids around the same age, they appeared to be a trio much like herself, Danny and Tucker.  There was a boy with sandy blonde hair, and a brunette with two long curled strands of hair on either side of her face, and she looked like a few of the kind of girls Sam had hung out  with in the 7th grade Earth Club, though more hipster than goth.  The three of them looked young, probably about eleven.  The memory was simple, just the three of the laying in the grass outside some sort of fair, and it was gone as suddenly as it came. 

“Are you –“whatever Shiro was about to say got cut off when someone cut in, pushing him away.  It was a tall burly young man, a Dash type, Sam realized. 

“Piss off, won’t you, pretty boy?”  Not this again.  Thankfully, this time Shiro looked like he was prepared to fight back.  “She’s way out of your league.”

“Hey” Sam pulled her arm away.  “I was actually dancing with him because you know, he has manners. “

“Yeah well his last bird can tell you that I’m a lot more fun.” He leered, leaning closer to her.  He was getting dangerously close, so she leaned forward to give him a good shove backwards.

“I don’t care, I’m not interested.”  Before the jerk could do anything she hurried over to Shiro.  “You okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine…” he fixed a glare at the guy. “Did he –“

“I’m fine” she said.  The guy pulled himself back up and for a moment he looked like an enraged bull. 

“Gold digging slag.” He muttered.  “Come back to me when you want a man.” 

“I already have one” Sam said coldly. She turned to Shiro, “How about you?”

“Mneh, all right.” He straightened his jacket, “Takes a bit more than that to properly rough me up. Why don’t we give it a break? “

“Sure, but let’s not totally call it quits just on his account.  Maybe we can get a dessert to share?” she asked. 

“Eh…sure…though, I’m not that fond of chocolate…so...” he started leading them back.  She looked over the list of desserts, they all looked pretty good but the special of the day, Hot Crème ala Mode, didn’t sound like it had much chocolate. 

“We’ll take the special of the day”   What happened after that was a little blurry but from what Sam remembered it was pretty fun.  They finished the dessert, both oddly giddy and giggling after (Shiro knew some funny, if not always appropriate jokes) and returned to the dance floor.

Somewhere near the end, they were on their way out when the jerk from earlier tried something.  Sam wasn’t quite feeling herself but she vividly remembered and enraged hiss Shiro attacking the bigger guy as he grabbed her waist. Afterwards they were out in the parking lot and she was oddly calm, unusually calm even while he panicked and ran his hands through his hair muttering ‘they saw me shift’. 

“Nobody noticed…and nobody cares.” She told him, “You fought a guy to help me…if you ask me, that’s something to be _proud_ of.” 

“Y-you think?”                                                                           

“Definitely.” Ira picked them up again and in the back seat, a stare turned into one kiss which led to a lot of kissing before Shiro pulled back panicking again.  It took Sam a bit to realize what had happened, she had gone overboard, and gotten drunk.  She was pretty sure it was after the dessert. It must have had something in it.  Shiro was nervous the entire way back, she could hear his wheezy breathing and the mantra of ‘He’s going to _kill_ me’.  She did what she could to calm him down, though admittedly neither of them were are their best. 

What a disaster.

*****

Danielle had never had so much caffeine in her body,  and for the first portion of the night she felt like she couldn’t stop moving.  She and Jazz talked, did each other’s fingers and toes, albeit Jazz’s were quite a tad sloppy, and sang along to the songs on the concert DVD Jazz had put in-bringing Valerie into the madness before the sugar crash set in.  She managed to stay up for half of The Little Mermaid before falling asleep.

She would regret the movie choice a bit. 

Sometime during the night Dani had a dream, a horrible and strange nightmare where she was trying desperately to get to the Fentons, turned into a mermaid instead of a ghost for some strange reason, and tried to run away from a demonic Vlad Plasmius who carried a powerful pitchfork.  She tried desperately to paddle to Danny and Jazz, to be saved while Vlad’s pitchfork blasts slowly melted her.  Just as she almost got to the Fentons,  one last blast reduced her to slowly melting goo. 

“Danny…I’m sorry…

As she slowly died the last thing she heard was Vlad’s words “You’ll never escape where you came from, Danielle.”

She awoke shaking and only realized she was crying when she felt the salt on her lips.  It was the middle of the night people all around her were sleeping.  She took a few deep breaths. ‘ It was just a dream…just a dream’ she told herself. 

“Dani?”  Jazz sleepily looked up.

“…I-I’m fine” Sniff. Jazz got up anyway and walked over. 

“You’re crying…what was it…” Jazz reached over and turned the bedside lamp on. “Did you have a nightmare?” 

“Yeah…kinda” Dani said, wiping her face.  Jazz pulled her close.

“I’m sorry,  I should have guessed you wouldn’t react well to so much caffeine so suddenly” she said. Dani shook her head, sniffling.

“It’s not your fault…I have dreams about him sometimes”  she said. She didn’t like admitting it but she knew if anyone would understand Jazz would.  Slowly she recounted the whole dream.  “a-and I just..melted…even though the ec-ecto stuff Danny gave me was supposed to work” Jazz pulled away for a moment shocked.

“ _Danny gave you ecto-dejecto?_ ” 

“Yeah…it saved my life.” Dani said.  “I’m not sure how…but”

“Huh…”  Jazz said pulling close again.  “Well, I promise you, we won’t let that creep touch you again and if you’re ever sick just tell me right away.” Dani nodded. 

“I know…I know it worked.  I’ve done all sorts of stunts over the last m-month and I still haven’t melted” she sniffed, “It’s still scary to dream about –“  Jazz held her close until she fell back to sleep. ‘Vlad is far away, Vlad is far away and I’m never going to melt again’ Dani told herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s chapter 8 done. And if anyone’s weirded out by the whole dream thing I tend to remember a lot of my dreams and trust me they are that weird sometimes. Dreams are a place where anything can happen and it always seems to make sense at the time, even when it really shouldn’t. Next chapter is going to be a big Sam chapter, where she goes to lunch with the other Strykes. More things will be revealed.


	9. Traditionalists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam attends the Styrke family luncheon and learns some disturbing things about her birth family. Meanwhile Danny reacts badly to learning what happened on Sam's date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, I lost my job at Walmart and sometime after there was a death in my family and I had a really hard time working on my stuff for a bit. 
> 
> Also I’m attempting to publish my original work on Archive of Our Own in hope that it might help me write it more. It’s called Things of the Darkness, if anyone cares enough to take a look. 
> 
> And Sorry for the formatting. Urgh

Danny noticed when Shiro got back that night, he seemed a bit jumpy, but he didn’t think too much of it.  Whatever the other boy was up to probably wasn’t his business anyway.  It wasn’t until he overheard some of the conversation in the other room, between Tucker and Shiro. 

“I didn’t – I mean it wasn’t my idea,  I didn’t even know it was in that thing.” Shiro said, “and she said she wanted to try it. I don’t know , I didn’t think it was my place to tell her no-“

“You were at a club with her m and she drank-“

“I’m telling you, I warned her!”

“Sorry, if I’m a bit suspicious about my best friend going out with some random guy and coming back drunk-“Tucker said. Danny snapped to attention.  Sam?  Drunk? 

All of the worst possibilities went through his head, and the more he thought about it, the more his insides burned up.  He looked down at the blanket he had been twisting.  The ends were sizzled and singed by heated ectoplasm.

He let go of the blanket before he ruined it completely and got up to throw a shirt on. It was hard not to notice the warmth in his fingers, something that with his type of powers probably wasn’t the usual.  But he was pissed, he had no idea that this guy had even  asked Sam. 

 

Had he? 

 

Danny tried to tell himself that Tucker wouldn’t be just talking if the guy had pulled something on Sam.  Hopefully.  He came out of the room, to confront them.

“What are you talking about?”  Both boys stopped and Shiro turned a few shades paler than he already was.  Tucker winced and looked over at Shiro and whispered an apology.   “What happened with Sam?  How did she get drunk?” 

Shiro didn’t seem able to form words, and he just winced at everything Danny said, trying to get a word in.   

“Well…I-I  I…uh” Shiro stammered.  “It’s a bit of a long story and let me just -“ Danny’s temper was burning up watching this sleazy asshole try to make excuses and talk his way out of it.  He wanted to know what he did and what happened to Sam.  He grabbed Shiro by the shirt and pushed him into the wall behind them.

“Now… what happened ?” 

Shiro gulped, looking absolutely terrified. 

“What did you do to Sam?” Danny demanded, looking him straight in the eyes.  He had no way out of this.

“Nothing!” He squirmed, “We went on a date, and we both had some drinks.”  Danny tightened his grip pushing Shiro harder against the wall.  

“You gave her drinks?” 

“No she ordered them!  I didn’t order for her because I’m not a controlling arsehole.  Would you rather I tell her what she can and can’t get?”  That was a fair point but Danny still didn’t feel satisfied. 

“Why did you take her to a place with booze? Didn’t you think that would be dangerous?  Or maybe that it might look pretty sleazy?”

“It was the only place I could think of, I- I go there all the time. It’s just a dance club, for fuck’s sake!”  Shiro sounded frightened and frustrated at the same time.  As if he didn’t think it was a big deal to take a girl to somewhere with a bar.  “Look, she’s fine now.  I made sure she got home safely!”

“Yeah…and I’m supposed to believe you didn’t try anything? “  Danny didn’t realize, until Shiro started coughing, that he had been pressing the other boy a little higher than he was aiming.  When his roommate started gasping and making wheezing noises Danny backed away.

Behind him he heard Tucker’s voice say softly, “ Dude , what was that all about?  You kinda looked like Dash there” Danny’s blood was pumping and he could hear his heart pounding, quickly.  Tucker’s statement was ringing in the back of his head. **  
**

“You kinda looked like Dash there" **  
**

“ kinda looked like Dash there ” **  
**

“ looked like Dash there ” **  
**

Five years’ worth of Dash’s bullying went through his head. All the shoving, roughing up, tripping, slamming around.

He remembered Vlad’s compliments on his actions when getting revenge against Dash.  The suggestion that they weren’t that different.  And now his own best friend was saying the same thing. 

Danny spun around to face him.  “What?  This is different, Tuck.  He. Hurt. Sam .”

“….yeah, except.. not really.  From what he said, the both of them were kinda careless and stupid. And if you had stopped to ask me, you’d know that he didn’t ask Sam.”  Tucker said, “Sam asked  him .” 

“What?”  Danny didn’t believe it. That didn’t sound like Sam at all.

“Yeah…she was kind of bummed out about this whole date thing. “ Tucker said, “Because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s had a thing for you.   For a long time .” Right now the look of annoyance, of judgment he was getting from his best friend, almost left him speechless.  Danny looked back to Shiro, who was huddled against the wall, puffing into an inhaler still looking shaky.  The combination of glasses and inhaler reminded Danny of some of the other geeks in his school, who were often fellow targets of the ‘cool’ kids.

As much as Danny’s subconscious tried to tell him it was justified, he couldn’t help but wince in guilt. 

“You think Sam would want you doing  this for her?  Why do you think she didn’t want you to find out about any of this?”  Danny almost winced at the telling off he imagined Sam would probably give him.  If the telling off he got for spying on her dating the worm – Gregor or whatever – was anything to judge by, this one would be bad.  

Danny watched as Tucker went over to Shiro and helped him up.  His best friend never said a word to him, and that one glance he got looked pretty cold.  The door shut behind the two, leaving Danny by himself. **  
**

***** **  
**

Sam woke up will a pounding headache and a feeling of embarrassment thinking about the previous night, at least the last part of it.  Realizing she had drunkenly made out with that guy…that would make things really awkward for him and her. 

Another thing hit her.  She went out on a date- on the Sabbath.

She groaned and rubbed her head.  What was she _thinking_?  She pulled herself up with a groan, and noticed her phone vibrating.  With a sign she picked it up. 

“Hello…do you realize how early it is?”  Whatever she was about to say next was cut off by a very angry Leandra.

“Sam, we need to talk.”  Well she didn’t call Sam by her whole name, perhaps because she knew Sam would hang up.  Why wasn’t she hanging up anyway? “The brunch is this morning and I’ll be sending Tristan along to pick you up.  I hope you’ll be ready to leave.”

“Leandra-“

“You  are going to family brunch, right?” Sam wanted to say ‘Hell no’ for how demanding and rude Leandra was being. However she remembered that the whole reason she came was in fact to find and reunite with her birth family.   Maybe Leandra was unpleasant, but she wasn’t about to write them all off quite yet. 

“Yeah….yeah just give me a few minutes to get ready.”   Sam still sounded obviously annoyed to let Leandra know that she was crossing a boundary.  

“Do hurry up” Leandra was testing her patience. She didn’t even seem to notice or care. Sam slammed the “end call” button and for a moment, had to resist the urge to throw the phone across the room. ‘No, that would be stupid” she told herself. It would be pointless and she would have no phone.    

Sam went through her luggage and searched for something to wear to this thing. A lot of her non-uniform clothes were black clothes, but she went through it going for something somewhat classy looking, but still her style.  Something her style that Leandra couldn’t complain about. 

Once she got an outfit together, she slipped out of her room while Valerie was showering.   Valerie had been very nosy last night and Sam didn’t want to face her again.

“Sam!”  She had nearly turned around when she heard Jazz’s voice. 

“Wha-  Jazz?”  Valerie didn’t seem to be anywhere, it was just Jazz and Danielle, and the latter was still sleeping. 

“Are you okay?  What happened last night?” Jazz asked, “You were tipsy…”

“I was fine.” Sam said. “Nothing happened, and no he didn’t do anything….he defended me.  We just made a stupid mistake.”  She rushed to answer all the usual questions, so Jazz wouldn’t come to any conclusions.  “I’m okay. Where’s Valerie?”

“She went out….” Sam sighed in relief.  She wouldn’t have to deal with friction with Valerie.  But she still had the Strykes to worry about.  “Where are you going?” 

“Leandra invited me to Sunday Brunch. I dunno, I figured why not give it a try” she said, “I’m kinda curious to see more of my birth family.”

“Oh..” Jazz nodded.  “Well….be careful all right?  I mean I know you have strong opinions and don’t get me wrong, that’s great.  But ….based on what we’ve heard and seen, these people don’t like anyone who will challenge them. I mean you heard what Leandra told us, right? Keep your wits on you and try to watch your temper.  I don’t want you to become their target this early in the game.”  

Sam nodded.  “I will, don’t worry.”   When she closed the door behind her, she took a deep breath.   She would keep her cool, but that didn’t means she was going to let Leandra kick her around either.

**  
** *****

 

Just as Leandra had said, Tristan was waiting just  outside the school gates with his car.  Before she could walk out of the gates, there was a loud knocking.  The tired and grumpy looking guard at the gate furiously rapped her knuckles against the glass. 

“Show me your ID” she said. Figured.  As Sam started to dig out her school ID card, Tristan came over.

“She’s with me.” He said, holding up his ID card.  The guard scanned it and waved them off. Sam followed him. 

“Wow….was that-“ 

“It was because I’m a prefect.” He said quietly once they were farther from the gates.  “They get a lot of leeway.  I don’t really like to use it that much…”

“Thanks for helping me.”  She said. He nodded.

“Least I can do to make up for…well them” He said, unlocking his doors.

“Them?  You mean…?” That was vague.  She had an idea who it was, but wasn’t sure.

“My family.” He said.  That’s what she thought.  They got in the car and Tristan was silent most of the time. The car looked pretty used, like a car that the average Casper High student could probably afford.  But it seemed like the Strykes were ridiculously rich.  They could probably afford better.  Leandra had a new model. Which meant that Tristan getting a car like this probably meant either he had to pay for it on his own, or his father only got him the bare minimum.

Ouch .

“So….do you guys do this every Sunday?”  Sam asked.  It was way too quiet.

“No, just once a month usually, when school starts up everyone is loaded down with classes and extracurriculars and the like.  This one is probably the last time we’ll all be able to be there, which is probably why Leandra is pushing so hard.  I’d reckon she wants to see how you get along with the whole family. “ 

“Oh” Sam said. Well that made sense, and she could sort of forgive Leandra’s pushiness.  She was interested in meeting some more of her cousins, they couldn’t all be bad. 

“I should probably warn you, someone’s probably going to ask you about a rumor.” Tristan said. “That you went on a date with a Toyaka.  It’s probably best to just say it’s untrue, if you don’t want any hassle” Sam’s excitement came to a screeching halt at that.

What?

WHAT **  
**

‘Rumors?  Already?’ Sam thought.  ‘ You have to be kidding me ,  it was  last  night !’

“I did though.  His name was Shiro and he was very nice.”  She said.  “Regardless of whatever feud you guys have going on, he was a nice guy.  Nothing happened, it was just for fun.”  Tristan heaved an exasperated sigh.

“They won’t care about that.  All they care about is that the Toyakas are an enemy and if you’re seen with one everybody will be ready to get on your case about it.  Look I’m not saying I agree, I’m just trying to help all right? I don’t want to see you get as much trouble as the last person who just joined us.”

“What did the last guy do?  Have an opinion?  Make friends with the enemy?”   

“He accused the head of household of murder.”  Tristan said, sounding uncharacteristically sharp.  Sam fell silent for a few minutes, processing that information.

“Oh.”  She said. “Well, I’m not accusing anyone of murder all right?”  In the rearview mirror she saw Tristan pursing his lips.  She was pushing it with him.    She refused to go along with this stupid grudge, no matter how much ‘advice’ she got.   They didn’t talk much after that.   Sam looked out the window

They were heading into a very expensive part of town; they passed the building she went to with Shiro.  They stopped in front of a very nice fancy restaurant.  In the parking lot there were a few clusters of fair and red haired teens,  a few dark haired ones as well.  But for the most part it was a sea of various shades of strawberry and blonde faces.   It made Sam a bit self conscious.  They stopped in the parking lot and Tristan got out , offering his hand to Sam.  **  
**

“Thanks but its alright, I’m good” She said, getting out of the car and grabbing her purse. She made her way to the restaurant until Leandra grabbed her arm and pulled her aside. “Whoa, excuse me” Sam said.  **  
**

“Don’t you-  you know what this is about.  The Toyaka boy!  You went out with Shiro Toyaka?”  Leandra was furious.  However Sam looked her in the eye and stood her ground. **  
**

“Yes. I. Did.” She said daring the other girl to say something.  “and he was actually very sweet.” **  
**

“Well of course he acted sweet.  He wanted to pull you in.  Samantha, I’m just worried.  That boy is a pervert . Everyone in the school knows it.  I warned you about that family when we got here.” **  
**

“Yeah, and I know that you guys don’t like each other.  You’re not worried about me, you’re worried about your reputation.” Sam said, “I don’t care about your grudges. If Shiro gives me a reason to not trust him, I can take care of it  myself . I’m not going to base my decisions on whether or not people will talk.”  **  
**

“I don’t want you to get mixed up in their madness.  The last Strykes who got involved with them ended up getting killed.”  Sam made a mental note to look into that.   **  
**

“Well either way , it’s none of your business.”  She turned and walked back toward  the parking lot, before Leandra could hound her anymore.     
  


***** **  
**

Since the incident that morning, Danny avoided everyone, and walked around the campus.  He didn’t know if Tucker had told the others what he did and he wasn’t in the mood to hear any lecturing about it.  He was already going to get it from Sam and knowing Sam, that was enough telling off for a lifetime. **  
**

He still remembered the intensity of her anger when he spied on her and Gregor or whatever his name was. It made him uncomfortable and anxious to be reminded of it.  Even if he felt he had good reason to do it,  when Sam left holding Gregor’s hand , and leaving him alone,  he wished he had never done it.   **  
**

And now,  as he looked back on it, he had more of a reason to keep an eye on Gregor considering the circumstances then he did beating up Shiro without knowing the whole story. Even without actually talking to Jazz, Danny knew that’s what she would say.  To say nothing of the part where he beat up someone.  **  
**

Shiro was taller than him by just a bit, but bodywise, half his size.  Danny wondered if the guy ever ate. He still couldn’t stop thinking of what Tucker said.  It was like a punch in the gut, mostly because honestly it was true.  The more he looked back on what he did the more he cringed at himself.  He was better than this.  He was supposed to be a hero.  But good intentions or not,  he had to admit that he just looked like a possessive jealous ex boyfriend.  

    If someone could say he looked like Dash Baxter, and be right,  well obviously something had gone very, very wrong.   **  
**

*****

The luncheon started out well enough, as went in and got seated, Sam talked to a few of the members of the family, and found some friendly people among the bunch.  There were some girls in the debate class who she actually had something in common with, and some girls she made pleasant conversation with. She had to admit she sort of expected the strawberry blonde, and often well dressed and trendy Chloe to be like the popular girls at school,  perhaps she based her expectations of her after Star who she vaguely resembled. **  
**

But on the contrary when she talked to her, Sam found the Chloe was as genuinely friendly and nice as she seemed to be talking amongst her friends.  The pale blonde girls who often flanked her looked impressed with  the outfit she had , one of them, Selwen,  knew a thing or two about goth subculture and style.   **  
**

As the two of them talked,  the subject turned to Sam and where she came from.  Chloe was very interested in America  and Sam corrected her on quite a few ideas she had about American life.  

As the waiter passed their drinks to them, Sam noticed a blonde freckled boy she swore she had seen before, sitting alone distanced from everyone.    
  
“What’s with him?” She asked.  Instantly the three girls all went silent, and looked in different directions awkwardly.  **  
**

“Well.. **  
**

“Wellllll **  
**

“Weeeelll” The hesitation made Sam all the more curious. **  
**

“Well...what?” She asked.   **  
**

“That’s Elliott…”Sam knew that name, it was the name of a sleazy ex she had,  and normally the name made her want to gag.  But she also remembered something else about that name.  It had been mentioned before.   **  
**

Somewhere.  She searched her memory until she recalled the bit of information that Danny and Tucker had relayed to her.  Someone who Tristan had warned Danny and Tucker about.  

“He’s…..he’s been having a hard time here.  He doesn’t really get along with people here, and most of us just give him his space. “  Chloe said.  “Probably because his parents died a little bit ago.  Uncle Rex just told us to give him space.”  

“He’s a troublemaker.” Another older boy said, “and a liar.”

“ David …” Chloe said.  David looked down at her coolly and scathingly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t care what his sob story is.  The things he pulled need to be punished, and he needs to learn. If that means no one talks to him, than that’s what it means.”

“Uh-huh. And what, exactly, are those ‘things’?”

“Accusing Uncle Rexford of being behind his parents’ death for one.  and not respecting our beliefs.  He needs to learn to respect his elders.”  David said.  “Are you going to tell me that false murder accusations are acceptable?”  

“He just wants attention” another teen said, setting their drink down.  “Don’t mind him.”  The boy looked annoyed at the comments being made, and glowered in their direction, but didn’t say anything.  

“Sorry. Just, well. A bit of time in this community’s told me there are a lot of things that people here seem to disapprove of, and several of them aren’t worth dignifying with an answer.”

“We hold our family to a certain standard.  Those who embarrass us and our family are kept in line” David said.  From across the table Lawrence smiled in approval.   “ We as a family have a reputation to keep up.”   


She nods. “Well, I can get that. My parents were pretty similar there. Granted, we didn’t have any centuries-old blood feuds, but, hey, we’re simple people.” She gave a small playful smirk.  Several people looked at her in shock, and Lawrence stood up with a dangerous look in his eyes. 

“Sam, don’t”  Chloe said quietly. She looked at the Head Boy with genuine fear in her eyes.  The boy sitting alone,  Elliott, looked at Sam , surprised and perhaps a bit impressed.  Sam was now certain that there was something very wrong going on with this family.   


“...Look, I’m not saying anyone was right or wrong then, I’m just saying it’s a long time to be mad at an entire family of people, and maybe both sides have been wrong to let it hurt generations who  weren’t part of the original fight. Maybe it’s about time someone tried to bury the hatchet.”

Everyone was looking at her, and looking at Lawrence now. There were a small worshipful few around Lawrence who looked as if they were waiting for him to giver her what for,  but many others looked afraid of him.  

“I’m sure you must have heard a lot about us from your Toyaka boyfriend.” Lawrence said, rather condescendingly. “What, did he tell you stories about how we’re unfairly targeting him, conveniently leaving out his family’s legacy for organized crime?”    


“...Alright, for one, he’s  not my boyfriend. He’s my best friend’s roommate and we went out once. That’s not ‘boyfriend’. That’s not really even so much ‘friend’ as ‘acquaintance’. Second, no, actually, I came to this on my own after taking a look in the history books.  Third, well, I know not everyone here practices faith, but last I read it, the Torah said fathers shouldn’t be put to death for their children, and vice versa- everyone deserves the respect to live and die for their own deeds.”

“He shouldn’t even be that” Lawrence slammed a fist on the table. “Which history books?  because I can show you far more that will tell you just what kind of people they rub shoulders with.  and don’t you dare try to talk Scripture with me, little girl.  You’re talking to a student of the Traditionalist faith.  Does the Old Testament not also have the Israelites conquering the wicked nations of the world? Telling them what to with evil people to make sure they don’t taint the world?”     
“But there you are making that judgment to start with. That he’s evil for no other reason than that he’s a Toyaka. Deciding he’s something wrong just because his family does things. No one gets to choose their family. Don’t you feel like you owe it to at least give the generation a chance to decide if it’s going to follow? I won’t deny the Torah has its share of slaughter, but if you read closely- that’s in times of war. War that the Israelites didn’t go looking for. I’m not defending either side of this fight between the families- because I’m not naive. I don’t think either side is innocent in this. But I feel like at some point, some generation has to try and be the better person- to try and bury the hatchet so their kids don’t grow up dealing with anyone judging them because of their name.”

“Clearly you didn’t read close enough. There was an attempt at truce,  but the Toyakas broke the agreement as soon as they could, and took one of ours with them. “ Lawrence said, smirking at Sam.  “The Israelites fought the nations that were wicked.  The feud, if you can call it that, is because the Traditionalists have a duty to purge the wickedness from our nation, and the Toyakas are simply one of the wicked, cheating their way to the top   Generations don’t matter, they still continue to follow their leader.  Maybe we haven’t been perfect.  But Yaka’s don’t deserve any less than what they got.”   
"Yeah, that is how ignorant bigots usually do it. Got my grandma a tattoo when she was a kid."

"Oh don't even  try to compare those.  The Yakas cheated their way to the top , they're criminals and they've been harassing our family for generations. Taking care of  a bunch of criminals is not the same as a genocide"

“You’re missing my point. If we keep going after them, with no mercy, no chances, even for their children- when does it  end ?" She pauses. “It doesn’t. Generation after generation, tooth and nail fighting until one family is dead. You have kids, don’t you? Why doesn’t that  scare you, Lawrence?”

“I’d rather it be their children than mine!” He stared at her completely cold.

“This all started for one person's life. How many need to die for that? Aren't the scales already uneven? There's only one way that Lawrence’s version of this ends- an entire bloodline  dead . Men, women, and children- all for being born to the wrong parents. And if any of you are  actually okay with that, you are  exactly the kind of monsters my grandmother faced."

Everyone else was silent clearly considering the words.  Lawrence had nothing to say, but looked furious and red faced.  However he seemed to calm down. "Well I don't want them all dead.  But they still don't deserve their position that their beloved Modernist followers hold them to.  Our family earned it's place with blood sweat and tears, they got it from knowing the right people and having dangerous friends,"

"That might've been how they got there, but that's hardly something to keep blaming each successive generation for."

"They're not old blood like us."   
"It's not their fault for being born. What part of that are you not understanding?"

"Lawrence maybe this isn't the place for this"  Leandra started looking over to this guests just outside the party room.

"Leandra,  be quiet" Lawrence said sharply.

"This conversation is over." He announced.

Sam smirked. She backed him into a corner and he had nowhere to go. Ending a conversation was the refuge of defeated authority. "Surrender accepted."

"This is no surrender.  I'm giving you a chance to stop making a fool of yourself.  Didn't your parents teach you to mind your place?"

Sam laughed, hard. "My birth parents dropped me off to get me away from the insanity that this family is. They could see that this atmosphere of hate and totalitarianism wasn't  a healthy environment to raise a child. The parents who raised me might've been a little conformist, but they taught me right from wrong- and to stand up to anyone telling me that didn't matter. And if I've learned one thing doing that, it's that when the authority and tries to end the conversation, it means they know they've been beaten. They want to stop the conversation before other people realize that it's already been won."

Lawrence's face went red, "THEN LEAVE!  If you're not going to follow the rules of the family then leave.  We don't need a stain upon our name"   
She sized him up.  "You're right, you don't. You've already got one. Huge, loud, and deep. It’s exactly why I'm staying."

"Excuse me?"

"This insane feud is a stain," Sam replied, "A hatred, an ignorance, an overall violent streak. A deep, dark, presence in the life of this entire family that just won't go away- even as it spreads and drives the clean like my parents away. If that's not a stain, I don't know what is."

"The feud is there because the Yakas have wronged us.  If you defend them , you're against us.  You're betraying us"

"They wronged you how many hundred years ago? How many died, how many of theirs and ours since? The feud has far been paid by far too many. I'm trying to help you, if you'd just actually use the brain God gave you. All of you. This feud is senseless, and all it does is hurt people on both sides. I'm speaking against it- and yes, that saves some of them, maybe, in the long run, but also of us. It spares those who come after from an indoctrination of hatred. From the slings and arrows of them, if we can really end this. You were raised with this, I get it. But you can't be that blind. This grudge disturbed my mother enough that she gave me up so that I wouldn't have to grow up with it over my head. Doesn't that say anything do you? Think about that. Think about how much you would have to care about something to look down, at your newborn child in your arms- your own flesh, your own blood- and deny yourself. And admit that they would be better raised, grow into a better person, elsewhere, by someone else."

There's a clear bit of vulnerability in Sam's voice- this is really something that has just occurred to her about all of this. She wondered if she would have had the same strength.

"Or" Lawrence said coolly "they were trying to escape shame "

"Lawrence!"

"Don't automatically assume they're heroes"

Lawrence got up and left, clearly angry.

"...Well." Sam's fists were clenched, every emotional part of her said to sock him in the jaw- but she knew that would only help him undermine everything she just said. "Looks like now it's over." **  
**

***** **  
**

As afternoon slowly turned into evening Danny hung around the cafeteria , where there were a few students , sitting together in small clusters.  He went through the line getting a few things to eat.  “Is that going to be it ,then?”  the student running the cash register asked.

“Yeah.” Danny said. He paid for his meal and moved on taking a seat alone. He heard some students talking amongst themselves.  He ignored it until he heard the words Shiro and Stryke.  

“Ahh,  the family isn’t going to be happy about that will they?” one boy said.  

“You can never tell with Kagami though, I mean she did marry one of ‘em”  **  
**

“Well….Kagami’s queen of do what I say not as I do.” One boy snorted, “She gets to do what she wants.  He should still watch his step right now.”  

That sounded like a threat.  Danny moved a few tables away before they caught him listening in.   “How seriously were they going to take this thing” He wondered.  Yeah, they had a feud and all, but didn’t the family have better things to do than worry about two teenagers who went on a date?

Or was he stuck in a some kind of Shakespearean tragedy waiting to happen?  If he didn’t know he was in trouble already, he would warn Sam about being careful.  Once the two boys moved on to other things 

He forgot about it for a while, finishing the meal and then meandering through the halls of the school again.  Until he saw , in a lonely alley of the school, Shiro pressed against a wall by a much larger and more intimidating student.

“It was ….it was nothing, just a night out.  And she isn’t…..t-technically that close to the Strykes anyway”  Shiro was trying to talk fast but it wasn’t doing anything for him.

“It still counts, dumb arse.  I know thinking isn’t exactly your strong point, but-” The older student said.

“Well , it’s not yours either is it?”  Danny slapped a palm to his face.  Shiro was going to get himself hurt at this rate. “OW!  Okay I’m listening!”   Danny remembered himself being in that position , and squirmed in guilt.  He should do something. Before the bigger student started on him again, Danny stepped in.   


“Hey!”  He put an arm between the two. “You got a problem with my roommate?” **  
**

“....keep your nose out of this” The bigger student said, “This is a family problem.” 

“Is threatening people how you always solve family problems?” Danny asked.”Here’s an idea, why don’t you try therapy?  Looks like you could use anger management lessons.”  The guy tried to swing at him and Danny blocked it with his arm.   “Nice try, but I’ve had practice dealing with guys like you.”  

The guy looked pissed off and made another swing ,which Danny blocked.  He glared at Shiro for a moment. 

“I’m not through with you.  Keep your hands off of the enemy.”  He turned to Danny. “And you better learn to keep out of family business if you know what’s good for you.”  

Then the boy left.  Once they were alone Danny turned to Shiro.   **  
**

“Do you always run your mouth off when people are threatening you?”  he asked, wondering how the kid hasn’t gotten seriously hurt or killed by now.

“Isamu has been threatening me since we were kids, It’s not a big deal.  Not coming from him at any rate” Shiro said, “But….why did you help me?  I- I thought you ..you hated me.” Danny sighed.

“I was worried.  Sam is my best friend, and when I heard about drinking, I thought the worst.” He said.  

“...oh yeah….” Shiro looked down, “I...I don’t blame you, there.  Sorry about that.” **  
**

“It’s well,  in the future I’d prefer you be more careful.” Danny said, “I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Its fine,  I, uh I wouldn't have done any different if I were you.” Somehow Danny doubted that Shiro could effectively threaten anyone in this school. 

“Is all of your family like that?”  He asked.  Shiro shrugged. **  
**

“Some of them.  Others are okay….” He said, ‘I hope I didn’t cause trouble between you and your friend.”  Danny chuckled to himself.

“We’ve been through worse.  Technically he was right and I just wasn’t listening”  Danny said, “How about we head back to our room.  Is your arm going to be okay?”  Shiro was still holding the arm that Isamu had been twisting close to him.  

“I think so…”  Shiro said, “Don’t worry , it’s been broken before, so…”He trailed off realizing that he wasn’t making the  situation any better.  “Y-yeah, let’s  go back. The sun will be going down in a few hours anyway.”   **  
**

*****

After the luncheon , Sam went to talk to the quiet boy in the corner to see if he was alright.   He stood with his brother ,a very quiet boy who looked around the same age as Danielle.  The boy seemed very distressed by the argument earlier, but was still very silent. He looked at the floor, at his feet and tapped his fingers together.  

“Hey….are you guys okay?”  she asked.  

“Yeah….we’re used to it.” The blonde boy said.  He had an American accent , like them, but his sounded distinctly southern.  Sam had to assume he came from somewhere in the mid-south around North Carolina, Kentucky, or Tennessee.  “...That was impressive.  Not a lot of people have stood up to Lawrence in this family.”

“I noticed” Sam said,  “He seemed a bit smug.”  

“...You need a ride back to school?  I called Felix to pick us up.”  He seemed a little awkward . No surprise, considering he was probably not used to anyone giving him the time of day in this family.  It made Sam feel bad for him.

“Felix?” She asked.  

“He’s...uh  my cousin.  First cousin.  He was disowned when Rex took over as Head. “ Elliott explained,  

“Oh…” Well, if the Strykes didn’t like him, he must not be that bad, Sam thought.  “Thanks...I could use a ride.”   **  
**

Elliott took out his phone and dialed something, what appeared to be a text.  “He’s already swingin’ by for us so….”  He trailed off and looked away.  “Oh and, you might not want to mention the Toyakas around him, he has sort of a personal grudge about some’a them, about his dad. Long story.”  Well, almost not that bad. There seemed to be a lot of long stories in this community.   **  
**

Sam looked to his brother who shyly hid behind him, still focusing on his feet.  “Are you allright?” She asked, gently. The boy retreated behind his older brother.  Extremely shy apparently.  **  
**

“Sorry, He’s..uh.non verbal.”  Elliott said, “He hasn’t been talkin’ since a couple years ago.”  Sam remembered, their parents had died.  She felt her sympathy for the two increased.  A sporty car drove up, driven by a man with spiky brown hair, and dressed pretty well.  Sam could easily imagine him as part of a boy band.   **  
**

“Met some new friends?”  **  
**

“New family member…” Elliott said, going toward the front seat.   **  
**

“Oh…” Felix turned to Sam with a smirk, “You’re walking on the dangerous side, talking to us aren’t you?” **  
**

Sam opened the door with a chuckle. “This isn’t even the most risky thing I’ve done today.”  She sat in the backseat ,next to Elliott’s quiet brother, who was now focused on his sketchpad **  
**

“She stood up to Lawrence.”  Elliott said casually. Felix grinned at her **  
**

“Oh..well then.” He said, “welcome to family.”   **  
**

“So…” Sam  asked, “....Elliott...right?””  **  
**

“Skye, actually.” He said, “That’s what my mom and my friends called me.”  That definitely worked for her.  **  
**

“...I heard you stood up to your head once.”  Sam asked, curious.  Skye cringed. **  
**

“Yeah” He said bitterly, “Shit load of good that did me. ‘ Uncle ’ Rex punishes people who piss him off. I found the evidence,  put together all the pieces I found, but I screwed everything up because I blew it all when I lost my temper.” 

“What did he do?” Sam asked. Skye looked  down at his lap. When he spoke his voice almost broke. 

“.....Blackmail.”  He said,  “He used my brother to keep me quiet.”

The boy sitting next to Sam sank in his seat, with his hand hovering over the paper.  

“Tim was sent to the Psi Treatment center before that,  and once I did my research, when I started to see what kind of a family this is ...I-I learned exactly what they meant by ‘treating’ him.  Rex told me he was in charge of my brother’s treatment…..and he pretty much told me that how things went for him depended on me keepin’ my mouth shut.”   

“Traditionalists believe that empathy and telepathy are an aberration, a disease, and needs to be cured. They do  horrible things to them in this community.” Next to Sam, Tim was clicking a pen in a rapid pattern, hand shaking. 

She gently touched his hand, touching base mentally-  “It's alright.” **  
**

“I’m sorry, Tim.”  he said quietly.  He turned to look at Sam, “Be careful.  Right or wrong, if you challenge Rex , he will go for those close to you.  Or anything else he has to do to shut you up. “  **  
**

“But that doesn’t mean nobody should” Sam said,  “Rex will keep his power as long as people don’t  stand up .  Do you know how many historical atrocities happened because lots of people went along with it until things got out of hand?”   **  
**

“Yeah well,  I want to survive, and keep my family and friends  alive .” Skye’s voice rose.  The rest of the ride was quiet, Felix tried to break the silence by asking about school, but nobody replied.  When they got back to the school, Sam thanked Skye and Felix , and started back to her dorm.   **  
**

She had a lot on her mind, about what had happened today and what she had learned.  She had figured out what she had been wanting to know since she was told that she was adopted- and quicker than she expected to.  The bright part of this all was that she knew for sure that it was not a lack of love that drove her parents to give her up.  But the truth of it also broke her heart, that her birth family had become so poisonous and dysfunctional that her parents thought giving her up was the only answer.   **  
**

After all that had happened that day,  she was exhausted.  In the last several hours she  had gone through so many emotions, and knowledge she was still processing.  She had to get some rest before she did anything else.  She knew Tucker had sent her a few texts but she felt that she owed it to him to have a clear head before talking.  She had learned from experience that  she had a tendency to lash out at anyone close when she was in a mood.   **  
**

She sent a quick text back. “Can it wait?  Sorry but I just had a stressful day” Then she made way into the dorm.     
“Hey Sam, so how was-oh”  She didn’t even have to say anything, somehow when they saw her that something was up. **  
**

“Are you allright?” Jazz asked, “What happened?” **  
**

“I just, really need some time alone.  I’ll tell you-”  Crud tomorrow was school wasn’t it. “I’ll explain later.”  She went into her bedroom and shut the door, then set the cell phone aside and just collapsed on her bed. It was here she’d be found a few hours later. Very quietly, Danielle approached the bed, gently climbing next to Sam, and hugging her from behind.   
“I know those feelings,” she says, gently. “They’re the worst.”

Sam looked up a bit, “Oh, I didn’t see you.”  She sat up a bit. For a moment she didn’t understand what Dani meant but then it hit her.  “Oh..  Vlad right?”  

Dani nods. “You’ve got some major disappointment and...Well, I’m assuming it has to do with this afternoon, huh?”

“Yeah,  I mean, I know why I was given up, but, knowing that your birth family is a crazy cult.”

Dani hugged her tight. “You have us, Sam, and your parents back home, too. Even if the people here aren’t worth your time, you have people worth caring about. Even if there’s not many.” 

Sam smiled, and hugged her back . “That’s true. Thanks.” She really misjudged the girl before.  

**  
  
**


	10. First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys I'm so sorry. 2016 was a hell of a year for me. Still dealing with unemployment.

Danny went over his supplies in his head as he checked his backpack. The whole ‘school for people with powers’ bit had him a bit cautiously excited, and that had him a little fidgety.

“We have lockers you know” Shiro said, as he came over tightening his tie.   
  
“Sorry, just… weird. I kinda thought I was just… something unique, before Jasper happened.”

“Oh…” Shiro paused trying to think of the tactful thing to say.  “I imagine it’s...odd to learn about.” He eyed Danny’s tie. “Oh my… here let me help”  He came over and started untying and fixing Danny’s tie.”how do you go this long without learning to tie a tie?  You go to school everyday right?”   


“Yeah, a public school. We can wear what we want. Within reason.” 

Shiro looked surprised then sighed. “Oh...right…” He said. “Well, there’s your tie fixed.”    


“Thanks. I’ll work on it for the future.” 

“Good idea.”  Shiro said, picking up his shoulder bag.  In your homeroom they’ll show you your lockers.” He waved and headed towards the door, “See you Yanks later” 

“Right. See you after class.” He waved back, as he headed to locate his homeroom. Students walked down the hall a few of them showing off their powers before being rebuked by prefects.  Tristan seemed a bit soft spoken about it while Leandra and Lawrence were very proud of their position and quick to stop “trouble” in the hallways before it started. 

“Patterson!  Stay visible in the hallways!” Leandra called out to someone before poking into the room labeled “Cyrokinesis”  

Danny winced, groaning internally as he made his way into the classroom.In the classroom a few students were goofing off. One girl had been dramatically singing “Let it Go” before a teacher silenced her. 

“That song is now off limits in the classroom” He said grumpily. Danny chuckled. 

“And you shouldn’t be singing anyhow”  Leandra said. The girl rolled her eyes.

“How did we get stuck with the killjoy?”  she muttered. 

“Fantastic luck” a boy said in response. The teacher cleared his throat.     


“We have a new student with us today it seems. Mr. Monroe stand up please” he said nodding at Danny.    
  
“Uh, actually, it’s Fenton,” Danny corrected as he stood, “Danny Fenton. It’s… pretty cool to learn there’s more out there than just… me.” 

“I see, well we have you down for Monroe, but I’ll make a note” he hummed to himself as he wrote something down.  “There are quite a bit of us out there. I imagine it’s nice to be among your own lot.” He said. Leandra eyed Danny judgmentally but said nothing.  The class seemed like any other first day , a lot of paperwork and signing,  they were led to where their lockers were outside the class and then allowed to leave once they took care of their lockers,      
  
Danny’d noticed. When he had the opportunity, he approached Leandra reluctantly. “What was that look about?” he asked discreetly.

“You’re….” She started.  “Why are you so insistent on your common name? You’re one of  _ us _ ”   
  
“It’s the name my parents gave me. I may be one of you, but I also owe it to them to be the son they raised.”

Leandra sighed. “Fine”  She said.  She started heading away but Lawrence stopped her.    


“Can we talk?  Alone?” he asked sounding agitated. 

“Ye-yes” She said. “Nice talking to you Mo- Fenton.” She nodded towards Danny and headed off with Lawrence. He watched the two, unsure what to make of Lawrence.

He seemed to pull Leandra along, ignoring her annoyed protest.     


“I’m not a child to be handled Lawrence!”

“Save your whining.” he said.    
  
Danny looked both ways before ducking into an empty room- only to disappear. Something didn’t seem quite right about this. He headed in the direction of Lawrence and Leandra.

Lawrence backed Leandra into a corner in an empty room. “Did you get the Manson girl to let go of Toyaka?” 

“I tried to talk to her about it, I did! She just ignored me.” She said. Lawrence slammed on the wall behind her causing her to shrink back. 

“You didn’t try hard enough!” He barked. “You need to think -for once- think about my image!  Everyone knows we’re engaged and if your family is connected with lowlives like the Toyaka boy, it will hurt my run. Find a way to keep her in control or I’ll have to”

“Don’t-  please don’t actually hurt anyone, Lawrence.”

“I’ll do what I have to do” he said.  “I’m not going to have anyone stand in my way of being the student council president” 

...seriously? What the  _ hell _ . Danny was- barely- restraining himself. Threatening violence and blackmail, trying to control other people’s lives… over a student council election? The crazy family feuding was one  can of worms but this… This was just unthinkable.

“The only one standing in your way is you, Lawrence” Leandra said quietly.  Lawrence turned around and raised a hand until Leandra cowered.    


“Excuse me?”

“Y-you go too far” She said. More quietly. “I know you want these things but… threatening people and hurting people like you do will get you in trouble.” She bit her lip. “Not everyone agrees with what you did to Cath you know.”

Lawrence hissed in nearly animalistic rage. “What I did was defend my family from ruin.  That….reject would have ruined us all if someone didn’t do something about her-”

“You broke her though!  You  _ completely _ destroyed her. If people found out...found out that her death was linked to you , there will be people who won’t let you forget it.”

...what the hell kind of morbid place  _ was _ this? Danny was beginning to wish he’d simply not come.

“That will be my problem, not yours” Lawrence said running a hand down her face gentle again.  

“But If i’m your wife…”

“I can handle it.  Alone, Leandra. Now get to class, you’ll be late.” She sighed and shook her head.     


“Just...just think about what I said-”

“You don’t get to  _ tell  _ me to do anything!” Lawrence said furiously.

“...I care about you” She  left, still looking worried. Lawrence stood alone and browsed through his phone, furrowing his brow before leaving.    
  
Danny ducked to an empty room, and scrawled a note.   
‘Don’t worry about letting ugly push you around. There  _ are _ good people watching. Drop a line if you think he’s going to hurt someone.’

He silently thanked Tucker for setting up that untraceable email account for Phantom. First chance he’d ever had to actually use it beyond between Team Phantom itself. He folded up the note, slipping it casually in Leandra’s locker on his way to class. When she looked in it she was surprised and almost afraid for a moment. She considered throwing it away but pocketed it and went on her way. 

The next class , Computer Skills was where he would find Tucker waiting for him, it seemed. Tucker got up to greet him at the door.

“Hey! How was homeroom?”

“It was… definitely interesting.” He managed a bit of a smile, “I, uh, think Leandra likes me even less than before but. Eh. I think I understand her a bit better now.”

“Oh...well” Tucker said.  “Teacher’s not in yet. Come on I have a spare seat-”

“Seats are assigned” A voice behind them said.  Dex stood in the doorway holding a briefcase and pushing up his glasses. “Would you mind moving?” Tucker moved aside.

“Well...there he is.”

Dex brushed past them and went to the desk. “First off.  We have assigned seating to keep you focused.” Many students groaned.  “Yes I am aware this is disappointing.  First lesson of your adult lives.  Things don’t always go your way.”  He put a sheet on the overhead showing all of their assigned seats.  Danny and Tucker were on opposite sides of the room. 

“I thought adult education was someone  _ else’s _ job,” Danny commented with a slight smirk as he made his way across the room.

“Haven’t you heard” another boy said, “the internet is for pooooooooooooooorn” There was laughter throughout the room. Dex slammed his hand on the desk. 

“All of you shut up!” he said harshly.  He eyed Danny.

“I’d be careful if I were you Fenton.  Sit.  Down.” he said.   
  
“Sorry, I mistook you making a joke for having a sense of humor.” Danny took his seat, “Didn’t mean to stir that much up, though.” 

“I’m not here to entertain you. I’m here to teach you” He said before picking up some sheets of paper. “We’ll start with an exam”  The whole class groaned. “While it’s tempting to let Fenton take the blame I do this with every class.  I need to know how behind you are”  

“You just assume we’re behind?” A girl complained.

“Yes I do” Dex said simply. “You. Hand these out”  he handed the sheets to a student. “There are 30 sheets in that pile I counted them myself.  Don’t try anything.”  The student nodded and started handing them out. “If I don’t get your test you get a zero.  Test grade.”  

A few students still glared resentfully at Danny. His test was slammed on his desk with a hissed “Thanks” .  The test was nearly 50 questions long.   The room was silent with only the sound of pencils scratching. Tucker was the first to get up and hand over his test.  Dex raised his eyebrow. He picked up his red pen. “This shouldn’t take long.”

However as he went through surprise crossed his face and he would lower his pen but then raise it.  Once he was finished he looked surprise but nodded in approval and put the paper aside. A few students gave surprised looks to Tucker. 

Danny gave a small grin. Heh. His best friend, the genius. It was satisfying to see Dex without a word to say. Danny was nearing the halfway mark himself.

Outside there seemed to be a commotion going on. Something, almost supernatural by the look of it, was flying around outside and wrecking things. Dex looked up and out the window frowning.  He seemed to hear something from the bluetooth on his ear and then got up and closed the windows as people started to notice. “Focus on your work.”  

Danny felt the shiver. Dammit. During a test. No way he was sneaking out during this. Time for the emergency. He gave a few moments so it didn’t seem too immediate. He stood, wobbling a knee a bit. “I… I don’t feel so good….” He hated what he was about to do but… he felt it come up just as intended, as he rushed the trash can and ecto-projected right into it. Several students made noises of disgust.

Dex sighed and cursed under his breath. “To the nurse’s office, Fenton. Try to stay inside on your way.” 

He nodded, “thanks, teach. Sorry to have that happen first day… ugh.”

Dex nodded, focusing on grading tests. 

He headed out the classroom door and paid attention to go the right direction- until he was out of view of the door’s window.

He ducked into a room to transform and head for the ghost  attack.

 

***********************

Sam made her way in the halls from botany, wiping her hands. It'd definitely be interesting to learn to harness this more, but next was the one most interesting period of the day- a class she'd come to regard with interest as much as amusement. History. Her own independent studies had prepared her well for it, and the way things had been chosen to be presented often illuminated the culture more than any amount of immersion could.

The teacher had yet to come in the class and students took the opportunity to goof off and hang out in clusters with friends.  One girl sat in the back rolling her eyes at all that was going on and writing something on a piece of paper.  She kept her distance from the other students.

Sam noticed, giving a little nod as she took a seat near the girl.

The girl smiled and nodded back.  "I see  you loopholed the school uniform.  Very nice.  I like your style"

She wore black and white almost everywhere with a yellow tie.

"Critical thinking's an essential survival skill. One most schools are horribly under-equipped to teach," she replied with a grin.

The girl nodded and sighed looking to the crowd. "No matter how expensive the tuition. " she remarked dryly.

"I'm Rayne"  She said offering  a hand in a black fingerless glove.

Sam shook hands. "Sam. Just transferred from America."

Rayne looked intrigued. "Oh really?"

She nods, "I didn't even know I was... this, until recently. My parents left me with a  Jewish family."

"Ohh...I see" Rayne said.  "well, I hear that the community in America is a little less about worshipping the noble families"

The teacher came in and all the students quieted down.  She cleared her throat and started calling role.

"Lennox Rayne...ah...there you are"  she said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Sam's name wasn't called until they got to the Strykes. "Stryke Samantha."

"It's actually Manson," she corrected, "I understand you have the whole nobility thing, but... yeah, it's what's on my birth certificate."

"I see..I'll make  a note of that" the teacher said.

Once she finished the roll call she started the lesson, beginning with the Psi Community Renaissance that led to their society.

"More like the people who created the backwards prison we're stuck in now" Rayne said quietly.

Sam stifled a small chuckle.

As they went over significant events, they touched briefly on the first home for empathic and telepathic orphans, in the 1500s which ended up burnt , allegedly by the man running the orphanage who was accused of treason and a murder suicide in attempt to escape charges.  He was found alive and put to death. 

"The proof was never found that he did it" Rayne said

"Face it , he was a scapegoat! The Board had him killed because he said things they didn't like"

"That's a legend, Ms. Lennox"

"So are the stories of him abusing and eating orphans, but history has done nothing to quell those"

"Treason?" Sam asked, curious.

"He was planning to kill the Lady and Lord  of the neighboring community."

"Convenient that the first guy to stand up for what I understand to be oppressed minority populations would be so heinous."

Sam's tone conveyed everything she had to say about the credibility of the accusations.

"Look.  Its what he was charged with and executed for.  They apparently found him guilty even if evidence is now lost to us. "

Sam sat back, not going to press too further but adding that to the mental list of things to research into

The teacher continued with the  lesson describing the beginning of the Reformation of the communities which happened at the same time as the American Revolution.   The Psi who went to the new world to flee the developing Psi community of the United Kingdom were seen as abandoners, traitors.

The teacher admitted that the view was a product of the times, but still didn't say anything to say the view was wrong.

"That's a view a lot of people took of the colonists, when the split came," Sam added, "It's not surprising, really. It's hard to unite people, because, well. People fragment. Splinter. Factionalize, over anything."

"Yes.  and in time, things did improve between the American and British Psi communities"  The teacher said.

"Barely" another ,dark haired student said.  "The USA is where those who abandon their families go"

There were some mumbles of agreement.

"This is not the place to have family drama sessions, Mr. Toyaka"

Sam wanted to say something, but didn't really have words. She let the moment pass.

"Or" a straw haired student said glaring at the Toyaka boy "where they get kicked out"

"Way to make the big name families sound like a bunch of socially acceptable cults" Rayne said.

Both boys looked at her with rage and murder in their eyes

"SIT DOWN" the teacher said loudly

Sam chokes back a laugh at that. It honestly fit what she'd found.

"Anymore interruptions and it will be in school suspension."

She continued on the lesson until the end of class bell rang.

Sam had a rather full page of notes- and matters to research further- by that point.

"You want to sit with my friends and I at lunch?" Rayne asked.

Sam nodded. "That sounds good. I'd love to meet some people who don't just toe the line. I have friends in both the big families and... yeah."

"Really?" Rayne looked surprised.  "Well then lets go"

Sam nodded, following. "I try not to let it be a wall. I am part of the family, but I haven't known them. I don't want to let some stupid family feud keep me from looking at people on _ their _ merits."

"I see"  Rayne said , leading to the cafeteria. "I have some friends in the Toyaka family and their subfamilies,  so I'm glad to meet someone who doesn't hate them on principal"

She took a seat with a group of other girls  who seemed to dress in mostly black and eat vegetarian foods.

It dawned on Sam that she may, in fact, have a people here after all as she took a seat. "Hey," she greeted the group as she took her seat.

The girls greeted her looking friendly enough.  "This is Sam Manson" Rayne said.  "I met her in history and she doesn't seem to enchanted with our governing body of violent fascists either”

One girl groaned poking at her salad.  "I hope this isn't going to be all talking politics" she said with a laugh.

"I'm... well. I'm trying to get a clear view of things," Sam admitted. "I'm doing real research and I want to find out the history from the spin. And maybe cut away the feud,"

"The feud has been around since the 1700s" One girl said.  "I've pretty much lost hope we're going to get rid of that anytime soon"

"Everytime we think its going away it gets stronger"

"Changes are built on hope. We're the youth, we are the future."

"At one point my parents said it was looking like Kagami might break it.  But then of course she broke up with her husband... and sort of changed. "

"It starts with you, and me- and everyone."

"If you want it to end... stop letting it affect you, is the place to start."

Rayne sighed. "That sounds very nice. But, we can' t just ignore it.  That's giving the bigots what they want if we stop talking about it. We have to acknowledge that there are bigots, and fight them.  But also fight the feud"

She swallowed a bit of tofu steak.  "We can't let violent antipathies and bigots get away with things, Sam"

"I didn't mean it like that, Rayne. I meant you don't let it color how you treat people."

"Yeah.  Honestly I'm not fond  of any of those leading the big families because they're part of the whole toxic system and sent their family members to die while they sat on their ass.  We need to dismantle the way Psi society runs before we deal with anything else."

"I care about the people who they send to die..  But the big name leaders are all helping and covering for abusers."

"....you're talking about-"

"I'm talking about revolution"

Sam shook her head. "This place is a fragile house of cards. A revolution would risk exposure and galvanize the traditionalists."

"Pragmatically speaking."

Rayne had a dark look in her eyes. "a revolution that takes out the monsters in our society"

"A **violent** revolution, at least."

A girl who walked by stopped. "Nice speech Jason Dean"  she said

"What we need to be, is an effective counter-culture."

"We need to win hearts and minds."

Rayne glared at the girl passing by ." You're not welcome here anymore.  Move along Viola"

The girl rolled her eyes and walked by.

"This is why no one takes you seriously Raaaay" Viola's male friend called after them.

"We need to be bigger than them, without resorting to their means, and that means we educate without condemnation, first."

"But some people need condemnation" Rayne said.

"To let them get away with it would be...well...apologism" She said

"I want justice in our society for all its done"

"Don't you?"

"No one here is beyond saving. I can say that much without question. People grow and change and mature, and anyone in this room, in this school, is someone who has the potential to become an entirely different person."

"But some things can't be forgiven"  Rayne said.  She sighed. "I thought you were different Sam"

"Has anyone in this room killed someone, Rayne? Raped someone?"

"No?"

"You never know about the men" Rayne said eyeing several boys. "I'd be willing to bet that pervert Toyaka has raped a girl"

Sam actually laughed. "You know, for an egalitarian, that's a pretty bullshit level of sexism at play in that statement."

"Oh God you're not feminist?"

Rayne looked horrified

"What, because I think generalizing 'men' as 'potential rapists' is sexist?"

"They are. They’re men" Rayne said.

She slurped her drink "Notice how there's no men here?"

"Viola expected us to accept her brother. Viola got kicked out"

"...Rayne, I'm going to let you in on a secret."

"Lesbian rape? It happens too."

"because men warped women's minds"

"Feminism isn't about 'women are better than men', because that kind of thinking is exactly how Patriarchy happens. If that's what you believed, you're not better than them. You just want to reverse the direction of power."

"Look, if you're going to defend...oh God its _him_ "

Shiro had walked by and came up cautiously with his tray.  "Sam"

"Get lost, perv." Rayne said

"Oh, hey, Shiro. I thought maybe I'd found some polite society. Turns out, not so much." She stood.

"Fine...if you wanna go hang out with the boy who's trying to fuck the entire school" Rayne said coldly.

"That's not true!" Shiro protested.

"Actions speak louder than words." Rayne said.

"Then what would you say if I told you he rescued  _ me _ from an aggressive drunk putting the moves on me?" Sam replied to Rayne with a bit of a 'gotcha' tone. "I'd say that's some pretty loud chivalry."

Rayne looked furious and at  a loss for words. "You know what fine! If you go now, you're not welcome with us ever again!  You can join Vi and her creepy gay brother in exile."

Sam rolled her eyes as she walked away with Shiro. "Ugh. Sorry you got dragged into _that_."

"Its fine.  wish I could have warned you about her though."  Shiro said.

"We started snarking off each other in history and I thought, maybe there was someone with as much of a want for a healthy discourse as I was. But she's as set as the traditionalists."

"Yeah  Vi tried to tolerate her for a bit.  But even she decided she had enough"

"But...I'd be careful.. Rayne might not be done with you yet" he said.  "She's going to want to get revenge or something"

Sam laughed. "What's she gonna do, spread gossipy lies?"

"Oh no she can be worse than that"  Shiro said.  "Anyway....you want to each lunch in a classroom?"

"I guess," she replied, with a nod, "You have something you wanted to share?"

"Uh..I just....wanted to be with you" he said blushing. "That's why I came to find you"

She smiled back. "I think I'd like that."

***************

The ghost of a girl of about 16 , whose clothing would put her at early 00's or late 90s was ravaging the courtyard and tossing things.

Danny had made a bit of a show of 'running away' when it started, ducking and weaving to get lost in the chaos until he could duck out of sight and--

"I'm going ghost!"

Danny Phantom made his farthest appearance from Amity Park yet- if you don't count the reaches of space at least.

The teenager was too busy, at first scaring away class skippers and tearing up bushes. She seemed too particularly hate everything from the students to the landscape.

She turned around to see someone else there. "Who are you?"

"Name's Danny Phantom. I'm just like you. I'm a ghost, I'm a teen... and I don't like bullies. So maybe we can talk."

"I am not a bully" she said.  "This school these people are the ones who tormented me!  Even my own brother led them!"

"Why don't we talk, then?"

She nodded. "Fine.  maybe once I tell you, you will understand why I hate this school so much"

"You've waited this long. What's another hour or two to talk it out?" He spoke evenly but gently.

"You seem to know this place."

She sighed " No shit sherlock"

"I'll let you pick the where."

She sighed and led him away from the school to the woods outside it.  "how long have you been in this society, Danny?"

"What, the weird people with powers thing? It's pretty new to me," he admitted.

"Have you learned the general opinion of telepaths?"

He nods. "Yeah. It sucks. But you don't fight hatred with violence. That only gives them fuel."

"Easy for you to say.  I was murdered by my peers and my own family  because of what I was."

She sent a violent  gust of wind to blow away the leaves. "If you had been betrayed like that... and saw people just carrying on as normal, and your chief tormentor getting a position of importance that he doesn't deserve, would you not want them to never forget you?"

He struggled. "I... that's horrible, and no one should ever endure that. But..."

"nothing changed either" she said bitterly. "Nothing.  The empaths and telepaths are still shunted aside and sent to that awful torture center they dare to call treatment."

"What you're doing doesn't change that either," he pointed out.

"So you throw things around, spook some people personally. All you do is make them afraid of you."

"I want to send a message that as long as there's no justice...there will be a reckoning"

"I know people. People who want to change things," he replied, "people who want to make truth known."

She paused.  "You do?"

"How can they?  Even people who...who have been in our society for years haven't changed anything"

"A friend of mine is trying to dismantle the crappy parts of this piece by piece."

"She's one of the... strongest humans I've known, when she has a passion and a cause."

"And she's a Stryke who loves a Toyaka."

The girl paused.

He knew the weight the grudge carried by now.

"....that...hasn't happened for 10 years"

"And last time it didn't end up so well" She sighed. "Though you can't really call a marriage truce love"

"She met him. Before she knew any of this."

"The stupid histories and the biases."

Cath nodded seeming moved from her anger.   "and she doesn't care?  About what people could do?  They could hurt her you know"

"She's counting on it. She wants to change things. To make it where the people..." he paused. "The, uh, age you look like? Can't ignore it anymore. Have to stand and say no further."

"Yes?" The girl asked.

"Even if that means she goes down a martyr, a tragedy. Killing her is the worst they could do."

"Killing her makes her  _ right _ . Proves her a symbol, and them the monsters she claims them."

"It's like Star Wars. 'Strike me down and I'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.'"

The girl's eyes showed recognition and she nodded..

"If they kill her, they prove the grudge itself is a poison. They prove this society is broken."

"She becomes a hanging doubt in the hearts and minds of everyone here."

"It's been broken for a very long time" She said sadly.

"Many people just seem to accept it"

"She's got friends and we're trying to change things. You mentioned the... center. How much do you know?"

"They send pathy children there.  Or children who just...don't seem right.  I can tell there are a few who aren't pathies but just have treatable conditions.  The pathies there...they try to torture them in the name of curing them.  Electroshock therapy, practically lobotomizing them to get rid of it. " She said

"You can't cure telepathy and empathy. They end up destroying people and leaving them as husks who still have empathy and telepathy."

"They convince kids to suppress their abilities and teach them that they're wrong.  They don't seem to care if pathies kill themselves...like I did....it's one less pathy to worry about going crazy and attacking people"

He nods. "I... we definitely will want to move against them. You have... inside knowledge and that could mean a lot, later."

She nodded.  "I'd love to help."

"In the meantime. Can I trust you not to throw anyone around too much?" He gave a cocked smirk.

He offered his right hand.

"Yes." She said, taking it. "You should know.  My name is Catherine.  Catherine Freethy"

"A pleasure." He shook hands... before hugging her. "you sounded like you could use one."

She smiled. "yes."

"Wait... Freethy?"

"Yes.  My brother was Lawrence"

"...yeah, throw him all you want in the meantime."

***********

Somewhere in the Ghost Zone an exasperated shout could be heard. "Are you KIDDING me? Not YET?  How much fucking longer is it going to take?" Lasko threw his hands up in the air glaring at the Master of Time. "You know I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeally starting to question your judgement."

Clockwork seemed unsurprised. "That's because you're unaware of the fullness of variables involved.I understand your investment in the situation, but the fact remains the optimal conclusion requires more patience and finesse."

"It's....do you know what year it is? Lasko sighed .  "It all started in the 1700s for....FUCK'S sake" He growled.  "I'm not THAT patient. Nobody is."

Clockwork shook his head. "To intervene now would be a bandaid on a stab wound. But there is a breakthrough just over the horizon. To act now would endanger the potential end of the foolishness that has characterized your kind for generations."

Lasko sighed.  "...she's still...."  He seethed. "What about her?  Are you just ...just going to let her be blamed for everything?"  He was thinking of one person.

"The simple will always find a scapegoat, Ambrose. But no,  she will not be blamed by many."

"Don't call me that" Lasko snapped. he sighed, testy and at the end of his rope.  "I want to destroy that monster myself!" The monster who took everything important to him.

"But if  _ you _ do, no one will  _ learn _ from it," Clockwork replied, "Your children need the lesson. They need to see that the youth do hold the reins. That the course they are on  _ can _ be changed. And powerful as you are, that is not a message you can carry."

Lasko groaned and slid down against a wall. "urghhhh I knoww" He sighed.

"I just hate seeing everything it's doing. How many people are going to be never okay after this?"

"And how many more would there be if I let you intervene before they learned?" 

Clockwork replied. "This is the highest chance of peace that has existed for them in a very long time."

There was a long sigh. "RIght.  ...and you really think you picked the right people for this" He asked.

Clockwork nodded. "They have a unique set of skills, backgrounds, and ideals.  If anyone, they would. Even alone, the Manson girl would be a formidable wrench in the works of the society, igniting so many. With defense from those who would silence her, and and willing aid in both families... "

Lasko nodded.  He was curious now. "She's already hit it up with the shifter kid"

"She has the principles of a revolutionary. Where she was, that would have grown her into an invested but ultimately small time activist on issues of a large bureaucracy. Here, she can be a true firebrand, enacting real change that affects lives. He is her unassailable connection. A bond of the feuding families that will give her credibility to both sides.""

"huh.." Lasko's stubborn reservations were melting away as he realized, grudgingly, that Clockwork had a point.  "This could really be her kinda thing sounds like"

"But you're sure catboy can handle a revolution?"

"It will be a challenge for him to rise to. But he will have a level of emotional support he has long wanted for."

"Oh...."  Lasko nodded. "And...what about the guy you have working with ..uh her.  He seems pretty shady already. And she's made a hell of a deal.  More moralistic guys have given into her"

"He is... a  hurting man. The capacity for change is in him, he needs but to see what he could become."

"...ah....still sounds....like a risky move" Lasko said. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"There is... risk and reward, Ambrose. He loved, and he had a child, once. A child he sought to use, to his own ends, to harm thoughtlessly. Perhaps I am becoming sentimental in my age, but. Seeing what  _ she _ is, how close he has come to her... I have faith in him."

Lasko's eyes widened and he nodded in resigned agreement, before he thought of one thing, "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

  
  
  
  



End file.
